Teen Therapy

Teenagers are often misunderstood…

AND it can be really hard to figure out what they are going through.

Teenagers need an adult’s understanding as they navigate this crazy stage of life.

This teen phase of life is so important because it is where they forge who they are and how they want to be in the world.

But this stage of life is often filled with making bad decisions, because a teen’s brain just isn’t as mature as they think.

We were teenagers once.

Teenagers are great reminders that we adults went through that stage as well.

And parents often wish that their teen could just learn the lessons that they learned… and now!

Yelling, messy room, bad grades, obsessed with their peers… they don’t seem to care.

Maybe they are totally stressed out, identity in shambles…

Getting into drugs, becoming more defiant, having dark thoughts, retreating into their room for hours at a time…

I am here to help.

I have worked with teenagers for a number of years in a variety of school and help settings.

I have found that the key to helping a teenager is, foremost, simply trying to understand what they are going through. This is half the battle.

The other half is to help them to find words for their experience—to help them untangle the knotted chaos of their emotions.

Then I guide them on building strategies, communication skills, and maps to help them make it to the other side of these uncertain waters.

Unlike what some people may say, teenagers still need limits.

I provide teens and their parents with very specific and effective tools, where parents can set healthy limits while allowing teenagers room to figure it out for themselves (and not just feel totally controlled).

Testing those boundaries is normal.

When teens rebel and go through “phases,” it can be very stressful.

But they need to do this.

This is their job as a teenager.

Your teenager is one of the greatest gifts in your life…

And teen counseling is one of the most effective ways of helping them through this stage of life.

Typically, for the initial session, I first meet with the parents and then meet with the teen.

For the next sessions, I mostly meet with the teen, but also meet with the parents with the teenager as needed.

They can make it through… thriving… with less injury to themselves and their relationships.

I am here to help. Call me at (707) 768-7061 for a free 15-minute phone consultation.