Do something today that your future self will thank you for”
– Unknown
Hey you! This is a special shout out for my teen girls that land on this page. If you didn’t arrive here on your own, I hope your parent encouraged you to come here and check me out. It’s really important to me that you know that there is nothing wrong with you and that you are not broken. Suffering happens to everyone. Everyone goes through hard seasons in life. Being a teenager can be fun, exciting, hard, and confusing all at the same time. This is a new stage of life where you are becoming more independent, discovering new things about yourself, all while trying to juggle school, friends, and all the in-betweens. If your parent thinks therapy will be helpful for you, I want you to think about this time with me as a safe, confidential place to talk about what is important to you. I don’t get to share anything we talk about with your parent, unless you ask me to.
Parents, have you noticed that your teen girl seems depressed, withdrawn, irritable, worried all the time, or she just isn’t like herself? Have you debated if you should you seek support for her? Are you worried therapy won’t work or she won’t open up and talk to me? These are common concerns parents share with me in therapy. Rest assured, you are not alone. Raising a teenager is hard work. Your teen is expected to grow, change, and learn new things about herself and the world at this stage. Sometimes this can be overwhelming and even confusing for your teen. When teens are given a safe, confidential place to talk about what is important to them and at a pace they feel comfortable with, they do talk and they do open up.
When I work with teen girls, I generally provide individual sessions without the parent present. I value what parents want to share, so you are always invited back at the start of your teen’s session to update me on your concerns. Your teen will have a safe, confidential place to process what she is feeling. I will not share with you specific things we talk about unless I have permission from your teen to do so.
**Please note, therapy is not provided for court mandated cases or families involved in custody hearings, custody/access disputes, visitation, or divorce proceedings. These matters are not within our scope of practice. I will be happy to provide you with a list of referrals that can help you if needed.**
Your teenager may benefit from therapy if you have observed the following:
- Angry
- Acting out
- Difficulty focusing or concentrating
- Disruptive behavior at school or home
- Defiant
- Changes in mood
- Prolonged sadness
- Withdrawn
- Engaging in risky behavior
- No longer enjoying or participating in things they used to love
What will therapy be like for my teen?
The first few sessions are spent getting to know your teenager. Before any change can occur, a relationship must be built with your teen. A clinical assessment will be completed during the first session and I will continue to gather information from your family over the next couple of sessions. From there, we will develop a treatment plan that will guide our time together. Therapy sessions are spent working on the goals that are important to you and your teen. I will incorporate fun and creative approaches into our work together depending on what your teen’s preferences are.
Modalities & Interventions:
- Theraplay principles {to learn more click here}
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT)
- Mindfulness
- Mindful Self-Compassion
- Sandtray Therapy {for a video explanation of how and why this works, click here}
Creative Approaches:
- Drawing
- Painting
- Playing music
- Movement
- Books
- Games
- Journaling