my 14yo daughter has told me she is depressed :-(

[AllergicToNutters]

and that she doesn't feel llike doing anything. She has gone back to school today after a great Easter holiday which included a school trip to Italy. She has a large circle of friends and is always out and about with one friend or another. She is a senior member of a highly successful sports display squad who compete internationally etc. My dh died two years ago ad she has never had counselling for this (though I have encouraged her to and have receved counselling myself). She has had a falling out with one of her best friends at school which I know is a large contributing factor and has even made me feel very anxious and upset for her. what should I do?

I myself have teenage ds x 2 but I have close friends with teen dds and I know from speaking to them that 14 is such a difficult age,theres so much angst going on and everything is an issue,they need to look good feel good have this quirky popular thing go on and it is stressfull,coupled with the opposite sex,exams and other stuff that goes on.

I think perhaps that since she lost her Dad life has been a steady 'go go go' with events and activities going on and now the school trip is over and her friendship with her friend has hit a bump all of a sudden all her insecurities have surfaced.

Im not a huge advocate of counselling but that of course is a personal preference,although you can put a lot of what you experienced in counselling in helping her....she needs to grieve for her Dad,for her friendship,for the childhood that is almost over -its how we get 'used' to things, perhaps treating her to some time together doing noce stuff if funds allow,perhaps by simply making time for dinner together a dvd and a blanket on the couch.

Youll get through this together,promise.

thanks nick the cosy up on settee sounds the perfect antidote x