Therapy for Teens

Our teenage years can often be one of the most difficult times in our lives. Now with the impact of social media, it is even harder to be a teenager. Teenagers should be focused on school, making friends, enjoying life, and learning how to accept and love themselves but instead they are often judging themselves for how they look, worrying if they received enough likes on a post, constantly using filters, struggling to see themselves in a positive way, comparing their lives to others and feeling like they are not enough.

As a parent, you want to do what is best for your child but it can feel impossible to know what that is because they do not talk to you. They might start acting out, using drugs or alcohol, engaging in self-harm or isolating in their rooms. Therapy can be extremely beneficial for them at this age as they can learn how to effectively express their feelings, learn problem-solving skills, build their self-esteem and gain assertiveness skills instead of developing distorted patterns of thinking that could lead into future behavior problems.

I have extensive background and training in working with teenagers and find great pleasure in it. Teenagers are so creative in their thinking and I love being able to help them grow into the person they are meant to be. When I work with teenagers, I do involve parents on an occasional basis in session. It is a goal of mine with every teen client that they have a healthy relationship with their parents and communicate effectively with them about their feelings. My goal is to help the teen develop the skills they need to be successful and thrive independently while also learning how to be open and expressive with their family.

I utilize aspects of play, art and music therapy combined with talk therapy to help teenagers feel safe and comfortable and allow themselves to open up and practice being vulnerable. If you would like to learn more about my approach when working with teens or would like to schedule an appointment, please complete the form to connect.