When life doesn’t make sense.
Therapy for teens, online & in person.
Working with teens requires warmth, encouragement and compassion.
Teenagers and preteens get bad press about being difficult, angsty, moody and withdrawn. But I know the pressures of school are no longer the biggest issues for the teens I work with everyday. The pressure to appear perfect on social media, the desire to be a loyal & always available friend, and and internal or external felt isolation makes these years heavy even for the most well adjusted kids.
Add in mental health issues like anxiety, depression, trauma and even suicidal thoughts and this time of life becomes quite unbearable. I have been working with teens for over 25 years. I know even in the last 10 years things have gotten harder.
I can help you feel like someone gets you, finally.
You will always be met with warmth, humor and comfort.
I will help you face whatever is overwhelming you with safety, skills that work, and strategies to sustain success long term.
ok that was all for the parents mostly making decisions…if you are the teen needing help, oh man am I so sorry it has come to this for you! Sometimes life on this planet is the worst and if you feel that way I want to help you leave that behind. All you have to do is show up, that alone is hard, you don’t know me and you probably haven’t ever done this, don’t know how it works and if you are like most of my first timer’s you’re worried I will say you are “crazy.” I promise you’re not! And that I can make whatever it is feel better. Just try it one time if I don’t make you feel at ease you can move on and I won’t be offended.
“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you go; they merely determine where you start.”
~Dr. Lauren Fogel Mersy
How therapy works
You can learn to feel strong & capable of managing your life.
Therapy with my teens is a lot of listening in the beginning, I just want to get to know you and understand where the hard stuff is and what you think is contributing to it. So in the beginning its just a lot of talking sometimes with you, sometimes with a parent. Once I have a clear picture we will begin doing what I call experiments, some in session, some on your own to see what if anything impacts how you are feeling. Sometimes I teach you things about how your brain and body work together or fight against each other. Sometimes we will do some family therapy so your parents can also learn how to support you.
We will work together to build a plan unique to you, with tools you can actually use and know that they are going to work time after time. We will even work on a plan for how you remember your tools, do you need physical reminders, strategic lists, a notebook or something else.
When you are finally feeling the way you hoped when you started therapy, we will make a plan for how you sustain the success for the long haul. We will look forward and anticipate when that may be harder, and when if ever it is time to return to therapy for a time.
Therapy for teens can help you…
Learn boundaries and reduce social drama.
Improve self-esteem.
Manage & reduce anxiety.
Improve academic performance.
Address depression, self-injury & suicidal thoughts.
Deal with emerging identity, including support for adopted kids.
Develop Christian faith in a way that makes sense to you.
Frequently asked questions about therapy for teens.
FAQs
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In the state of Colorado the age o consent is 12. All teens have the right to do therapy without outside influence from others. That said, alone may not be the best choice. I often integrate parents and/or family members into therapy in cycles. Working individually with clients to build skills and gain understanding. Then I will, at a predetermined rate include family for updates and training parents. This could even grow into family therapy. Goals for including family include being able to see what a client is learning, guaging ongoing change and teaching parents how to support well.
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Your child may need therapy if there is a sudden change in academic performance. They may complain of headaches or stomach aches, difficulty sleeping or feeling overwhelmed. They may also show new behaviors like cutting themselves or getting caught sending naked pictures of themselves or others. Isolation may not be an indication of need unless it is a signifiant change. Sometimes mood changes may be an indication and sometimes that is normal. Even if you aren’t sure what is wrong, give me a call and we can at least discuss the possibility.
But sometimes you may also want them to learn something you aren’t sure how to teach. They may need more support than you can give due to other life requirements. Or you may want someone to teach values and faith constructs you don’t know how to break down into learnable lessons. alll of these are appropriate things in therapy with teens.
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First, let me just say, way to be courageous and at least be willing to ask the question. You may need therapy if you are anxious or overwhelmed easily. You may feel alone even when you are with friends and family. Someone may be hurting you, emotionally, physically or sexually. Someone could be bullying you or you could feel like you don’t want to do this anymore. And if none of that fits but you just feel like something is wrong, this could be helpful for you. You don’t have to know and you don’t have to do this alone.
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If you are a teen, you or a parent just need to call. We will take care of everything needed by email. I will send a link for my client portal, you will do all of the paperwork in that space before you come.
If you are a parent you can fill out the form in the Contact me page to email me or you can call at 303-709-9370.