Ask Brock
Introducing “Ask Brock” – TVM’s newest Q&A column where you can seek guidance from our resident expert, Brock Grace, on matters related to youth mental health, special needs care, counseling, and family therapy. With a wealth of experience spanning therapeutic day treatment, residential care, respite services, and in-home counseling, Brock is here to offer insightful advice and practical strategies to help you navigate the complexities of supporting children and adolescents with mental health challenges or developmental disabilities.
Do you have questions or concerns about your child’s emotional well-being, behavior, or development? Are you looking for tips on creating a more supportive home environment or strengthening family bonds during difficult times? We invite you to submit your questions to “Ask Brock” and let our expert provide you with personalized guidance and support.
No matter how big or small your concerns may be, Brock is here to help. Send in your questions today to hello@triadvoicemag.com, and look forward to empowering advice in the upcoming issues of TVM. Your privacy is our utmost priority, and you can trust that your submissions will be handled with care, sensitivity, and confidentiality.
Dear Brock,-Our teenage daughter has been exhibiting signs of depression and anxiety, but she’s hesitant to seek professional help. How can we approach this situation sensitively and encourage her to open up?
Dear concerned parents,
In order to assist your daughter with depression, continue to be supportive as you have done. Being supportive is one of the most important things that you can do in order to strengthen the parent child relationship. When interacting with your daughter, validate her feelings and try your best not to downplay the situation or her feelings, even if you don’t completely understand them.
Often times adults view their children’s issues as minor in comparison to their own experiences or “adult” problems, leaving the child not wanting to communicate. Depression can sometimes come across as anger and her not wanting to talk at that moment. Give her space but ALWAYS make your daughter feel that she can talk with you about ANYTHING.
Anxiety is most frequently caused by an upcoming event or situation. There are different techniques you may want to try to help decrease her anxiety. The S.T.A.R Method. (S)-stop, take a breath, (T)-think, what is the problem, what are the options, what is the best path forward, (A)-act, move forward with the best plan and revise if needed, (R)-review, review the situation of what worked and didn’t work. Make a plan on how to address similar situations in the future. The second technique for reducing anxiety is 3-3-3 Rule. The 3-3-3 technique helps individuals ground themselves by looking around and identifying 3 things you can see, 3 sounds you can hear along with moving 3 body parts, and grounding or focusing your mind on those things, with the objective of calming your thoughts.
I know she’s hesitant to seek out professional help, a lot of people are, however, reinforce with her that counseling is confidential, and that while you will continue to love and support her, you want her to have the very best, and that means a professional. If she were younger, I would suggest you take her to a therapist regardless of her concern, but because she’s older, she needs to come to a place where she is at least willing to consider that therapy may help. You may even consider therapy for yourselves as parents to be able to work on different parenting techniques and ways in which you can better support her and possibly invite her in for therapy in a family setting, in order to ease her in to the idea.
Meet the Therapist Dr. Brock M. Grace, Ph.D., LCMHC
Dr. Brock M. Grace has worked in the mental health field since 2006. He has experience working with all ages, demographics, genders (including trans and non-binary) and ethnicities.
