Finding out that your teen self-harms is frightening. As a parent, you’re doing your best, but it can be hard to understand the best way to help them stop. It’s natural to worry about what to do or what type of treatment is actually “the best.”
The good news is that self-harm is treatable, and there are several evidence-based therapies that can help teens find healthier ways to cope. Some treatments have more evidence than others, but there isn’t necessarily a “best” choice for every teen.
At Jones Wellness Center, our trauma-informed mental health IOPs help teens who are having a hard time with self-harm and other high-risk behaviors. Our therapists can talk you through different options for treatment and explain how they might be able to help.
If your teen is in immediate danger, has seriously injured themselves, or may act on suicidal thoughts, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. In the U.S., you can also call or text 988 for immediate suicide and crisis support.
Most effective treatment options for self-harm
There are many different types of therapy that can help teens overcome self-harm. Some of them have more research backing than others. But that doesn’t mean that other types can’t ever be helpful — it just means that researchers have focused more on certain approaches. The best treatment for your teen will depend on their specific needs and what’s contributing to their self-harming behaviors.
Here are some of the therapy types for self-harm that research has found to be helpful.
Dialectical behavior therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, was designed to help people deal with emotions that are so painful that they can lead to self-harm or suicidal behaviors. Research has found that it’s helpful for reducing both self-harm and suicidal thoughts, especially for teens. It’s also considered one of the most effective treatments for borderline personality disorder, which can often come with self-harm.
With DBT, teens can learn how to ride the waves of painful emotions without turning to self-harm to cope. It involves a combination of individual and group therapy, and teens get a chance to both explore their own emotions and experiences as well as learn practical skills to self-regulate.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Aside from DBT, cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is considered one of the most evidence-based therapy types for self-harm. CBT can help teens overcome self-harm by helping them address unhelpful thinking patterns. These thinking patterns often make teens feel worse than they already do, and can lead to thought spirals that make self-harm more likely.
For example, teens who self-harm often get caught in spirals of guilt and shame. They might feel a general sense of shame, which leads them to hurt themselves. But then, they feel even more ashamed of the fact that they self-harmed. CBT can help teens recognize these thought patterns and challenge the beliefs that keep them stuck in shame. CBT can also help teens learn healthier coping strategies to use when they experience the urge to self-harm.
Acceptance and commitment therapy
Acceptance and commitment therapy, or ACT, can help teens change how they respond to painful emotions. Instead of trying to push away difficult feelings, ACT teaches teens how to make room for these experiences, without allowing feelings to control their behaviors.
For teens who self-harm, this can be especially helpful because self-harm is often a way to escape overwhelming emotional pain. With ACT, teens can learn that they don’t have to act on every painful thought or feeling they experience. They also learn to identify their personal values and make choices that support the kind of life they want to build.
Mindfulness-based therapies
Mindfulness-based therapies teach teens how to pay attention to their thoughts and emotions without immediately reacting to them by self-harming. This can be especially helpful for teens who self-harm impulsively or feel like their emotions become overwhelming very quickly.
For example, a teen might learn to notice the thoughts that come with an urge to self-harm, like “I can’t deal with this right now.” By practicing mindfulness, they can learn to sit with these sensations without immediately acting on them.
Mindfulness is an important part of other evidence-based therapies, including DBT and ACT.
Family therapy
Family therapy is often an important part of treatment for teens who self-harm. This doesn’t necessarily mean that family conflict is the reason why your teen self-harms. Working with the family is important because it allows both teens and parents to build a supportive home environment.
There might also be underlying family dynamics or misunderstandings that might be making it harder for your teen to cope. This doesn’t mean that you’re a bad parent, but family therapy can help you understand what your teen is going through and how to best support them at home.
Can you heal from self-harm without therapy?
Many parents wonder if their teens really need therapy for self-harm, or if they’ll naturally “grow out of it” over time. Some teens stop self-harming on their own or with other types of support. But many teens don’t, and it’s a big risk to take.
Teens who self-harm are more likely to develop mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. They’re also more likely to use drugs and alcohol or engage in other risky behaviors. Although self-harm itself is typically a non-suicidal behavior, people who self-harm are also more likely to die by suicide.
It’s important to take your teen’s behavior seriously. If they’re self-harming (or you suspect they are), reach out to a mental health professional who can help you talk to them.
Does medication help with cutting?
Therapy, especially the types we listed above, is considered the first-choice treatment for self-harm. But medication might be helpful for some teens, depending on their history and other symptoms.
Medications like antidepressants can help your teen manage their mood and feel more stable as they learn new coping skills. If they live with another mental health condition like bipolar disorder, medication can help reduce symptoms as well. However, there’s no medication that’s used to specifically treat self-harm itself.
If your teen isn’t feeling better with therapy, their therapist may refer you to a psychiatrist or other medical professional who can walk you through medication options. But medication is not your only choice. There are other next steps you can take, including considering higher levels of care.
Does my teen need to be hospitalized for self-harm?
Self-harm can look very different from one teen to another. Some teens may have less severe symptoms, like self-harming occasionally with no intent to truly hurt themselves. Others may be in crisis or at active risk of seriously hurting themselves.
Teen self-harm can often be managed at home alongside appropriate treatment and support. If your teen isn’t in immediate danger, they may be able to continue living at home while working with a therapist. Your therapist will typically help you build a safety plan, which may include steps like removing tools that your teen uses to self-harm.
If your teen is having thoughts of ending their life, or feels like they can’t keep themselves safe at home, then hospitalization can be an option. Often, crisis hospitalization is short-term. It’s meant to help stabilize your teen while they’re going through these difficult times. Longer-term residential treatment can be an option if they need round-the-clock support.
But weekly outpatient therapy and residential treatment aren’t the only options. Intensive outpatient treatment, or IOP, is a treatment program that allows your teen to continue living at home while receiving the intensive treatment they need. Your teen will attend therapy for several hours per day. Usually, they’ll participate in groups with other teens who are experiencing similar challenges.
IOP can be especially helpful for teens who aren’t getting enough support in weekly therapy but don’t need 24-hour supervision. It can also help teens transition back to their everyday lives after receiving a higher level of care (like residential).
Self-harm treatment for teens: IOP in Houston, TX
If your teen is struggling with self-harm, we want you to know that recovery is possible. We’ve worked with many teens who have used self-harm to cope with overwhelming emotions, and we’ve seen firsthand that they can learn healthier ways to manage their pain. Even if your teen has been self-harming for a long time, there’s still hope.
At Jones Wellness Center, our teen intensive outpatient program in Houston, TX, provides a higher level of mental health care than traditional weekly therapy. Teens participate in structured treatment several days a week, where they learn practical coping skills and receive trauma-informed support. Our clinic is intentionally designed to be warm and welcoming for teens who are going through a hard time.
Contact Jones Wellness Center today to learn more about our teen IOP in Houston and find out whether it’s the right fit for your family.
If your teen is in immediate danger, has seriously injured themselves, or may act on suicidal thoughts, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. In the U.S., you can also call or text 988 for immediate suicide and crisis support.