Teens today have a lot on their plate and with so many demands depression and anxiety continue to be on the rise in this age group. With social media distractions and interactions, video game addictions and a prevalence of peer pressure to try drugs or alcohol on top of academic stressors teens need help navigating how to get through these years unscathed. Therapy gives a safe place for adolescents to explore thoughts and feelings and learn healthy stress and coping skills to manage the stressors that come from home, school and friends. As many parents know, teens don’t always openly talk about their feelings. That’s why therapy can look a little different for this age. When working with teens we can utilize other therapeutic modalities such as art, play, music and journaling along with traditional talk-therapy to help teens feel more comfortable opening up.
In therapy, adolescents learn how to express concerns and difficult emotions, build self esteem and confidence while learning ways to communicate needs and wants to others in a way where they are more likely to be heard and validated. Therapy can help teens navigate through difficult choices and be a safe place to explore questions about who they are, what direction they are heading and how they can find their place in the world.
Parents play a vital role in their teens development. That is why I will also work directly with you to help support you and your parenting challenges by providing practical skills and evidenced based practices to give you the tools you need to parent your child in the way they need.