adolescents:

adolescent therapy will focus on a number of different fronts.  One, regardless of what your child is facing, developing healthier coping skills will be a focus of the work.  Additionally, as is often the case with adults and children, it can be very difficult to understand exactly what it is they are experiencing and often even more difficult to find words and emotions that accurately describe their experience. When this is the case, the only option is to act out in some capacity as a way of trying to make sense of what is occurring internally, and for every child the behavior is unique and means something different.  That said, through locating and exploring the root of what is happening both internally and externally, your child will not only learn to more flexibly cope with stressors, but will also learn how to express how they feel more appropriately.  Regardless of what aspect of the work we are focusing on, ample space will be provided to explore what is occurring in their life.  This exploration might happen through play, art, or conversation.  

It is also important to mention that you (parent or parents) will need to be involved in the process while your child is in therapy.  This might be an occasional consultation with you so that we can discuss how things are going at home or in school and to potentially explore relational dynamics that might be playing a part in your child's behavioral patterns.  At times this aspect of the process can be tough for parents because it might mean having to address their own impact on their child.  As a parent myself, I can imagine this being difficult also, but I also know that because I am a part of a family system, that I inevitably have both positive and negative impact within the system.  All this said, the hope in addressing anything that needs attention is not for the sake of adding stress or guilt, but rather for the sake of the entire family's health, and of course for the sake of your child's/adolescent's health and growth.    

If you have questions or would like to set up an initial consultation please contact me here.   

areas of focus:

  • depression

  • anxiety, fears and phobias

  • ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder)

  • family conflict

  • stress management

  • relationship difficulties

  • negative thinking

  • shame and guilt

  • grief/Loss

  • low self-esteem/self-confidence

  • physical and sexual abuse

  • trauma