As a teenager, you are expected to start "acting like an adult" even when you aren't being treated like one. Between the demands of school, family, friends, and other obligations, it can feel like there's hardly enough time to just breath and be yourself - or figure out who that self even is! Not to mention you are going through big physical and emotional changes.
It's no wonder teens are more susceptible to depression, self-harm, bullying, thoughts of suicide, loneliness and isolation, poor grades, substance abuse, and violence. All of which just make the task of communication that much more difficult especially as relationships get strained.
Our therapists’ goal is to help adolescents explore themselves, process the world they live in, and learn to communicate their experiences better.
You already have a dizzying to-do list from your school and parents. Some days you feel anxious and tense and other days you feel lethargic and unmotivated. You don't get enough sleep. Flaming hot cheetos isn't a food group. And your cell phone has become the best friend you both love and hate at the same time. Life can start to feel unmanageable, like you'll never quite get on top of everything. The thought of spending a precious hour talking to a stranger may just cause you more stress.
But these can be some of the most challenging years in a person's life and going through it alone will just make it harder. You are going through a phase in which you begin to figure out or adopt a sense of identity, individualism, and independence. This can be very confusing to go through. Experimenting, testing limits, and pushing boundaries to discover who you are, who you want to be, and where you fit into this world is completely normal. But sometimes it goes to far, begins to feel like too much, and you can't quite identify where the problem is or if there even is one.
We can help you sort things out so that you can begin to feel better, enjoy your life, feel more in control, and learn to cope rather than feel so overwhelmed. We can help give you the tools to conquer obstacles infront of you so you don't feel like you have to avoid them.
As if just being a teen in modern day society isn't reason enough to have a trusted and seperate person to talk to, there are other reasons to try out counseling.
While you may have people in your life trying to support and understand you, sometimes it is still difficult to feel heard. Sometimes a little extra help from a professional is worth trying out. Our therapists are very skilled in reading between the lines and helping figure out the difficulties and stresses of being a teen.
Once we have received your information through the "Let's Begin" link, our Client Care Coordinator will match you with a therapist and you will be contacted to make your first appointment. This first appointment is just an opportunity for you and your therapist to get to know each other and see if it's a good fit!
Our reception area is very warm and inviting with tea, coffee, and water available for you. Your therapist will greet you and welcome you back to a private room with, of course, couches! Pick a comfortable spot and, for the first session, focus on getting to know your therapist and allowing your therapist to get to know you. For subsequent sessions, feel free to lead the discussion if you have specific topics you'd like to discuss, or allow your therapist to guide you in a direction they feel would be beneficial. Beyond that, the sessions will be in support of you achieving your goals.
Their brains are still developing which means they are particularly susceptible to depression and anxiety, but also particularly receptive to therapy.
Psychotherapy helps children and adolescents in a variety of ways. They receive emotional support, resolve conflicts with people, understand feelings and problems, and try out new solutions to old problems. Goals for therapy may be specific (change in behavior, improved relations with friends or family), or more general (less anxiety, better self-esteem). The length of psychotherapy depends on the complexity and severity of problems.
