Teens

What a challenging time to be a teenager!

Stuck in between being a child and an adult, teens often have to balance family responsibilities, school demands, social pressures, and peer problems. They’re trying to figure out their values, spiritual beliefs, sexual orientation, gender, preferences, and their general personal identity. This is happening as our teens are being exposed to constant injustices–political unrest, prejudice, racism, school shootings, pandemic aftermath, and the reversal of human rights.

While navigating all of this, they’re experiencing a fluctuation in hormones affecting their moods, emotions, and impulses. Their bodies are changing and not cooperating with them, and the part of their brain important to planning and decision making is trying to develop. It’s no wonder that teens are experiencing an all-time high in anxiety and depression.

Therapy can help.

Oftentimes parents/guardians want to put their teen in therapy to “fix” them. I won’t fix them for you, because they’re not broken. What I will do is create an environment where they feel safe, valued, and seen. I will listen to them and truly hear them. When they think they’ve figured something out but then change their mind, I will be there to encourage their exploration of all the different paths they can take. I will be an advocate for them, helping guide them through the messiness of life. 

In therapy, teens can:

  • Learn how to identify and label their emotions.

  • Acquire ways to communicate in a more effective and productive way.

  • Develop coping skills to help regulate emotions like anger, anxiety, depression, and stress.

  • Gain insight and awareness into their problems.

  • Discover ways to navigate life transitions like parents’ divorce, death of loved ones, moving, changing schools, etc.

  • Strengthen their self-esteem.

  • Explore who they are with support.

  • Develop interpersonal skills to enhance their relationships.

My approach and experience with teenagers. 

I use research-based practices, which are treatments proven by research to be the most effective. Sometimes, teen clients can find it difficult to communicate via talk therapy, so I also incorporate hands-on activities, art, games, and sand tray therapy to help them communicate and gain awareness. My experience with teenagers comes from 20+ years of working with them in a variety of settings. I’ve worked with teenagers with chronic illnesses in a camp setting and with teen clients in an inpatient and residential setting for those struggling with eating disorders, anxiety, depression, trauma, self-harming behaviors, and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder).

I also taught middle and high school students across the span of 11 years, where I often implemented individual behavior plans for students who were struggling to manage their behavior in the classroom. With my Special Education Endorsement, I’m knowledgeable in working with students on IEPs (Individualized Education Plans/Programs) and 504 plans and attended IEP meetings regularly. I’ve also had the privilege of working with this population by coaching volleyball for seven years and running clubs, helping teens learn skills like teamwork, discipline, and communication skills. 

Contact me.

I offer convenient times to meet with teen clients, including after school and evenings. If you’d like more information, please contact me and we’ll set up a phone consultation to determine if therapy is right for your child.

If your teen is struggling with thoughts of suicide, they may be eligible for free therapy. I am a provider with the Second Wind Fund, which provides up to 20 FREE therapy sessions for adolescents and teens who are at risk of suicide.
To see if you’re eligible, please visit the Second Wind Fund.