Why Summer is a Crucial Time to Prioritize Mental Health Treatment for Teens

As a psychologist who has worked closely with adolescents and families navigating complex mental health challenges, I often encourage parents to view summer not just as a break from school, but as a critical opportunity for focused healing.

For teenagers struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or eating disorders, the summer months can provide a uniquely supportive environment to engage in treatment—free from many of the pressures and distractions that typically interfere with progress during the school year.

The Academic Calendar Often Competes with Mental Health Needs
During the academic year, teens are under constant stress. They’re balancing demanding coursework, social pressures, extracurricular commitments, and in many cases, unrelenting internal struggles. This can significantly limit their capacity to engage in meaningful treatment.

Summer, in contrast, offers a temporary release from these demands. It gives adolescents the cognitive and emotional space necessary to reflect, process, and begin the difficult—but transformative—work of therapy.

PTSD, OCD, and Eating Disorders Require Focused, Specialized Intervention
These conditions are among the most challenging for adolescents, and they often require more than standard outpatient care. For example:

• PTSD may stem from a single traumatic event or ongoing exposure to adversity. Treatment often involves trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) or other modalities that require consistency, safety, and emotional readiness—elements more easily supported during the summer.

• OCD typically responds best to a specific, evidence-based intervention known as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). ERP demands structured, repeated practice and support, which can be difficult to implement during the school year.

• Eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating, and avoidant and restrictive food intake disorder, require a multidisciplinary approach—often involving medical care, nutritional support, psychotherapy, and family involvement. These treatments are time-intensive and can be destabilizing to a school schedule if initiated mid-semester.

Early Intervention Matters
Many families hope that mental health concerns will improve with time. Unfortunately, conditions like PTSD, OCD, and eating disorders tend to become more entrenched when left untreated. Waiting until symptoms reach a crisis point often results in longer recovery times, greater functional impairment, and more distress for the entire family system.

When treatment begins in the summer, teens often have time to stabilize, learn essential coping skills, and build resilience before school resumes. This preparation can dramatically reduce the risk of relapse or academic deterioration during the school year.

Increased Family Engagement Leads to Better Outcomes
Another reason summer treatment is so effective: parents and caregivers are often more available to participate. Many evidence-based treatment models for adolescents include family therapy or caregiver education as essential components. When families are engaged, outcomes improve. Communication becomes clearer, expectations more consistent, and support more reliable.
During the summer, when family schedules are typically more flexible, it becomes easier to build this crucial collaboration between clinician and caregiver.

The Summer Reset
Summer treatment can be a “reset button” for teens. It allows them to step away from environments that may have triggered or maintained their symptoms, reflect on their experiences, and build new strategies for self-regulation, self-compassion, and recovery. By the time the school year begins, these adolescents are not just coping—they are better equipped to thrive.

If your teen has been showing signs of distress—whether through obsessive thoughts, compulsive behaviors, trauma responses, or concerning patterns around food and body image—do not wait. Summer offers a rare window to intervene early, invest deeply, and give your teen a chance to heal in a focused, structured, and supportive environment. Effective treatment is available, and the benefits of acting now can ripple throughout your child’s academic, emotional, and social future.

We Can Help
At Balanced Collective we have therapists who specialize in treating PTSD, OCD, and Eating Disorders including ARFID. Learn more about our specialists.

• Dr. Ho Fung: PTSD Treatment https://www.balancedcollective.co/hofung
• Rebecca Lokomski: OCD Anxiety Treatment https://www.balancedcollective.co/lukomski
• Chelsey Rapinchuk: Eating Disorder, OCD, and Anxiety Treatment https://www.balancedcollective.co/rapinchuk

If you are a parent, caregiver, or guardian who could use support navigating your child’s mental health, Katie Llewellyn specializes in maternal mental health and parenthood. https://www.balancedcollective.co/llewellyn