Parenting Teens
Van has been offering Parenting Classes for parents of teens since 2003. These are high energy, interactional classes that are based on some of the widely accepted models of parenting of the last thirty years such as: Active Parenting; Parenting with Love and Logic; and Teen Proofing. He helps parents identify the dynamics of their parenting styles such as: strict vs. lenient, over-involved vs. under-involved and micro-managing vs. macro-managing.
Van will cover the following principles and topics in his classes:- recent discoveries of adolescent brain development
- challenges of electronic devices and internet technology in parenting
- adolescent developmental theories
- monitoring and supervising teens in a healthy ways
- dealing with control issues and power struggles with teenagers
- dealing with the influence of adolescent's peer group
- the exposure to and influence of drugs and alcohol
- drug and alcohol use and abuse with teenagers
- improving communication with teenagers
- Learn to focus more on yourself and less on your partner
- Take responsibility for the part you play in the issue
- Begin to make small positive changes in your behavior and attitudes
- Learn to express appreciation and gratitude daily
- Look at your Family of Origin roles and expectations
- Learn and practice Active Listening communication skills
- Practice forgiveness and letting go of past issues
- Whenever possible, give each other the benefit of the doubt
- Learn to shift from complaining to asking for what you would like
- Practice moving to repairing issues and reconnecting quickly
The above areas are covered with the intention of providing more insight and understanding for parents of their teenagers. Also, the hope is that the insight and understanding will provide more of a foundation for better relationships between parents and adolescents.
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"help along the way"
Van Langeland
Van Langeland earned his Masters of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy in 1981. He is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.
To schedule an appointment with Van,
Text your name and reason for making an appointment: (919) 446-5309.
130 Iowa Lane Suite 204
Cary NC 27511
Van works Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am until 6:30 pm.
Style of Counseling
Van has a pleasant, direct, personal and engaging style. He is not the type of counselor that just sits back and says,"how does that make you feel,"...rather, he gets in there with his clients to help them sort through their issues. He enjoys helping clients "connect the dots" from their past so they can improve their behavior and make better decisions in the present. Van's style is a blend of:
- helping clients to find answers and solutions
- teaching life principles
- resolving issues from the past
- using stories, analogies and illustrations to help teach and integrate life principles
- teaching skills to live more healthy, productive and fulfilled lives
His goal is to create the context for growth and change within the counseling sessions. Van does this with a primary focus of staying in 'the present' and then going back into the past when necessary to resolve and heal the wounds that prevent more progress in the present. Lasting change happens when there is healing and transformation on the inside of a person.
Academic and Professional Background
Van earned his Masters of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from Loma Linda University in 1981. He then moved to Raleigh, North Carolina in January of 1982 to join Ridgeview Counseling Associates where he worked until August 2021. Van is now working in a solo private practice.
Van is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). He is a member of the Licensed Professional Counselor Association of North Carolina, the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation and the American Association of Christian Counselors. Besides working with couples and families, he works individually with both adults and adolescents.
Counseling and Therapy Background
Van's therapeutic background is in Family Systems, Structural and Strategic Family Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy. He has trained over the years with some of the leading professionals in the areas of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Ericksonian Psychotherapy, Codependency, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Adult Survivors of Abuse, Solution-Focused Therapy, Critical Incident Debriefing, Trauma, Marital Therapy and Grief and Loss.