Individual Therapy for Teens

Therapy makes the transition easier – for everyone.

If you’re a parent reading this, I invite you to take a deep breath and put yourself in the most challenging moments of your teens and that whole period of transitioning to adulthood.

Read what follows from that place. These next few minutes are for them to see if I might be a good fit. You and I will have plenty of time to talk later.

Teenagers, please take a second to breathe deeply and notice how you feel about what comes next. When we can find space to hear them, our minds and bodies tell us much about what works for us.

Everyone has an opinion about who you “should” be.

There are expectations in every part of your life, from grades to dating, who you’re friends with, what you watch and wear and talk about, to more complex things like what you believe; whether you’ll use drugs, drink, or have sex; and how you handle big feelings like anger, sadness, and dread for the future.

Everyone, from your friends and parents to teachers, coaches, and random people on the Web, wants to express an opinion on who you are and how you act. And so much you see and hear makes the future seem heavy, maybe even hopeless sometimes.

It’s a lot of pressure. Sometimes, it feels impossible to do it all. Sometimes, you want everyone to leave you alone. Sometimes, you want everyone to hear how much you’re struggling, to help, to take some of this incredible load.

What about your voice?

What about what matters to you? Who you want to be? How are you supposed to answer those questions – where do you start?

It’s good to talk about “hearing our minds and bodies,” but what does that even mean?

And can it be any more helpful than the teachers, parents, coaches, and – sometimes loudest of all – other teens who all want us to hear what they think is right for us to do and be?

It is clear that they don’t think you should listen to yourself, and, really, how can we say you know anything about the world? And how can you hear yourself when everything and everyone is so Dang LOUD?!

People often say these are supposed to be the best years of your life, but that’s selling the rest of your life short before you even get there. There’s no such thing as a life without hurt, but hurting doesn’t have to mean life isn’t full of joy, meaning, and laughter.

There’s no one right way – but we can find your way.

I can’t tell you who or how to be – and wouldn’t want to! Those are questions we answer by living daily and paying attention to our choices and challenges.

We’ll talk about what’s happening in your life, the thoughts and feelings you experience, the relationships that matter, the activities you enjoy, and those that feel wrong for you.

We’ll practice skills like noticing what is happening inside ourselves and with others, connecting to what matters to us, managing overwhelm and big feelings, and doing what matters even when life hurts, as it sometimes does.

Together, we’ll create a compass you can carry forward into the rest of your life, helping you identify the steps you need to take and the choices that will feed your joy and flourishing.

Parents, this is for you as much as your teens.

I know how much joy and worry come with watching our kids grow up and struggle to find their way, to deal with the challenges of school and friends, dating, and figuring out their future. There’s always a little grief in letting them go on to their own life’s adventures.

Those worries and challenges can steal joy from us and our teens. Arguments and silence can eat at our relationships until we no longer feel like we know them – or ourselves as their parents.

Therapy can help them learn to know themselves and how to navigate the challenging roads life hands all of us. And therapy can help us as parents make and maintain the connections that support them as they prepare for the journey to adulthood.

When I work with your teen, you and I will partner in how best to support them while respecting their need for boundaries around how and how much you are involved. We’ll work to rebuild trust and communication, how to set and accept boundaries with and from them, and how to help them use the skills they learn as they move forward.

Call today for your free consultation to discuss our next steps and begin walking that path to healing with them.