Therapy For Teens and Young Adults
If Your Teen Struggling?
Does your teen seem anxious, withdrawn, or overwhelmed by the chaotic, pressure-filled world we live in today?
Have you noticed changes in their mood, increased irritability, or concerning behaviors, such as sensation-seeking or substance use?
Has communication at home become strained or tense?
The teen years are filled with emotional ups and downs—for adolescents and parents alike. It's a time of growth, identity exploration, and increasing independence, but it can also feel confusing, isolating, and volatile. Therapy can provide teens with a safe space to make sense of their experiences, offering parents a sense of comfort and reassurance that their teen is in good hands.
Mental Health and the Teen Years
Adolescents today face increasing pressures, and many struggle silently with these challenges. Some of the most common challenges for today's teens include:
Anxiety and depression
Low self-esteem or lack of motivation
Emotional overwhelm or difficulty regulating feelings
Social anxiety, peer pressure, or feeling like they don't fit in
Risk-taking, avoidance, or acting out
Academic stress and performance pressure
Identity exploration related to gender, sexuality, or values
While it's normal for teens to experience shifts in mood and behavior, unresolved emotional struggles can make this stage of life even more challenging to navigate. At the same time, parents may find themselves unsure how to respond or connect.
The central task of adolescence is enormous: teens are trying to figure out who they are—how to belong, and how to stand out—while facing messages about how they "should" be. Therapy can help them navigate this process with greater self-awareness, emotional resilience, and confidence.
Why Teens Often Struggle to Talk About What's Going On
Many teens find it difficult to share their innermost worries—even with people who care about them deeply. And yet, today's teens are more open than ever to mental health support, mainly when therapy includes respect, patience, and understanding.
In today's world, teens are growing up amidst constant stimulation, packed schedules, and a culture of comparison fueled by social media. It's easy to feel like there's no space to slow down, reflect, or just be themselves.
They may also be carrying the weight of global uncertainty—climate change, social injustice, economic instability—without having much say in the world they're inheriting. These stressors can make adolescence feel overwhelming and even hopeless at times.
Technology & Isolation: Complicated Tools for Connection
While technology keeps teens plugged in, it can also isolate them from their peers. Conversations that once took place face-to-face now occur on screens, where miscommunication, disconnection, and insecurity can thrive.
Therapy provides a grounding, in-person (or virtual) space where teens can reconnect with themselves and others in more authentic, embodied ways. Sessions typically focus on identifying feelings, exploring thoughts, and building emotional resilience to handle life's challenges.
How I Work with Teens
For the past teen years, I've supported teenagers in building trust, self-awareness, and a stronger sense of their unique identity. My relational, client-centered approach creates a space where teens feel seen—not judged. We explore whatever's on their mind: day-to-day life, deeper emotions, spiritual questions, frustrations, identity concerns, and future hopes.
I have experience supporting LGBTQIA+ teens as they navigate the complexities of gender and sexual identity development, along with other nuanced aspects of self-discovery.
For many teens, therapy becomes a rare and valuable space where they can express themselves freely, apart from the expectations of their family or peers. Autonomy is not only normal but also necessary; It's an integral part of growing into adulthood.
Therapy That Meets Teens Where They Are
I offer therapy for teens, in-person and online. Some teens feel more at ease connecting in a physical space, while others open up more readily through a screen.
I use approaches like:
Relational, client-centered therapy, which places the teen's needs and pace at the center
Motivational interviewing to help them explore their goals, values, and ambivalence about change
Mindfulness and emotional regulation skills to help manage stress, increase insight, reduce anxiety, and build healthy coping skills.
Whenever appropriate, I invite teens to take the lead in scheduling or communicating about their sessions, which can be a step towards building agency and independence.
A Safe Space to Grow into Themselves
With the proper support, teens can learn to:
Understand their emotions
Build healthier coping strategies
Improve self-esteem
Develop communication skills
Clarify their values
Connect more deeply to who they are and who they want to become
Your teen doesn't need to go through this alone—and neither do you. By seeking support, you and your teen are proactively starting a process to help them feel less alone and more resilient. Therapy is about providing a space for individuals to understand themselves, learn tools to cope, and feel better prepared for the adult world ahead. With the proper support in therapy, your teen can learn to manage their emotions, develop healthier coping strategies, enhance self-esteem, improve communication skills, and clarify their values.
If you're still curious to learn more, reach out today—your teen deserves support that fits who they are becoming.
You Might Still Have Concerns About Teen Therapy…
Do you have enough experience working with teenagers to understand their needs?
I started working with teens almost a decade ago as a school-based counselor while focusing my graduate studies on adolescence. What often resonates more for my teen clients is that I remember the complexities of growing up in a social world, with mixed feelings about parents, familial beliefs, and pressures to conform while trying to figure out how to fit in. When I first meet with your teen, I'll focus on building rapport, making them comfortable, and relating to them authentically, as my goal is for all my clients to feel more authentic in themselves.
As their parent, what role will I play in my teen’s therapy process?
Parents often play an essential role in their teen's counseling. I like meeting with parents once every four to six weeks to gain their insights and observations and help them understand how to support their teen at home. I can also share tips on fostering or repairing your relationship, improving your communication, and helping your teen's identity development. Your involvement can significantly enhance the effectiveness of therapy and support your teen's well-being.
Why won’t I learn everything my child shares during therapy?
Healthy boundaries are essential in family relationships. My role as a psychotherapist with my teen clients must allow them a safe and confidential space where they can share without reservations. I won't disclose details to parents, even when asked unless I have the teens’ permission.
However, I help parents understand the complexities of the teenage years, unpack any ways they can adjust their approach, and help them process their feelings during this phase.
Give Your Teen The Relief And Support They Need Through Counseling
Reach out through my contact form, or call (650) 449 - 6054 to discuss your teen’s needs with a free 20-minute consultation. I look forward to helping your child resolve the challenges of their teen years in therapy, which can give you peace of mind today and hope for the future.
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