Therapy with Teens

Empowering Teens to Navigate Life with Clarity and Strength

A young man with brown hair and closed eyes, smiling softly, wearing green over-ear headphones outdoors in a park setting with trees and benches in the background.
A young woman with long brown hair sitting at a wooden desk, writing in a notebook with a pen, with a laptop nearby on her right, in a bright room with natural light coming from a window.
Young woman smiling outdoors at a gathering with friends, with two friends blurred in the background.

Adolescence can be a challenging time for both teens and their families.

With all the changes and pressures teens face—at school, with friends, at home, and within their own developing sense of identity—it’s easy for things to feel overwhelming. Our approach to teen therapy focuses on helping adolescents better understand their own experience and see what may be contributing to stress, confusion, or conflict. As things become clearer, teens often begin to find more confidence, perspective, and resilience in how they respond to what’s happening around them.

We also work with parents to support better communication and collaboration. By helping parents and teens understand one another more clearly, difficult conversations can become less reactive and problem-solving can feel more manageable. The aim is to help families move through these years with greater connection, understanding, and flexibility, while giving both teens and parents room to respond to challenges with more clarity.

Questions?
Book an Appointment

Examples of teen topics and issues:

  • Stress and overwhelming emotions

  • Overthinking or overanalyzing

  • Social anxiety

  • Lack of confidence and self-doubt

  • Academic pressure and school-related stress

  • Disruptive or impulsive behaviors

  • Issues of identity and self-worth

  • Loneliness or isolation

  • Life transitions, like changing schools or entering adulthood

  • Feelings of sadness or depression

  • Conflicts with parents or authority figures

  • Addictive behaviors

We are well versed in working with a broad spectrum of mental health conditions such as PTSD, ADHD, OCD, Bipolar Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Are you a struggling parent?

Check out our parent coaching services

Parent Coaching

FAQs

  • It’s not uncommon for teens to feel hesitant about therapy, especially if they aren’t sure what to expect or feel like the decision was made for them. We focus on building trust, respecting their perspective, and giving them room to participate at their own pace. Whenever possible, we also involve teens in decisions about the therapy process so they have a meaningful voice in what happens.

  • Teens are often capable of more depth and reflection than adults give them credit for. Our approach invites them to better understand their own experience rather than simply telling them what they should think, feel, or do. We adapt conversations to the individual teen, their developmental level, and what matters to them so that therapy feels relevant rather than like another place where adults are giving advice.

  • Privacy is important in helping teens feel comfortable speaking openly in therapy. At the same time, confidentiality has limits, particularly when there are significant safety concerns or other circumstances in which disclosure is required. We explain those limits clearly at the beginning of therapy and work with both teens and parents to find an appropriate balance between privacy, safety, and helpful parental involvement.

  • Virtual sessions may be an option for some teens, depending on the clinician, the teen’s needs, and whether telehealth is an appropriate fit. In many cases, we prefer to begin in person when possible because it can make it easier to get acquainted and determine what kind of setting will be most helpful. From there, the therapist, teen, and family can discuss whether in-person, virtual, or a combination makes the most sense.

  • We do work with some younger children, but the approach often looks different than it does with teens or adults. With younger children, much of the work may involve helping parents better understand what is happening and respond more effectively at home. For children age 10 and under, we consider the needs of the child and family individually and determine whether direct therapy, parent coaching, or another approach is the best fit.