Adolescent Therapy
Teenagers exhibit mental health issues in vastly different ways than adults. Often, their opposition, their anger, and/or withdrawal masks emotional crisis such as depression and anxiety. Developmentally, adolescents do not have the ability to regulate emotions as adults do, yet our social experience makes demands on them that insist they figure out how to do so. Adolescence is also a time of individuation, which present challenges for the parents and the family.
www.goodtherapy.org/individuation-in-therapy.html
I have two decades of experience working with troubled teenagers. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with teens as they learn to develop healthy, strong relationships, as well as faith in themselves, the adults in their lives, and sometimes in life itself. I am skilled at managing suicidality, emotional and behavioral crises, anger, co-dependency, depression, anxiety, experimentation with substance abuse, self-harm and self-sabotage, poor school performance/behavior, and oppositionality.
www.goodtherapy.org/therapy-for-self-harm.html
I will work with my adolescent clients to develop positive communication skills, healthy relationships with peers and adults, boundaries, coping and leisure skills. I will also meet them where they are in their quest to make change. I cannot, nor do I want to, force anyone to improve his or her health and wellness. If my teenage client is not ready to make change, we will work on building rapport and identifying what their needs are and how counseling can help them reach what goals they may have at that time.
When needed, and if possible, I will refer my teen clients to family therapy as well.
Teenagers exhibit mental health issues in vastly different ways than adults. Often, their opposition, their anger, and/or withdrawal masks emotional crisis such as depression and anxiety. Developmentally, adolescents do not have the ability to regulate emotions as adults do, yet our social experience makes demands on them that insist they figure out how to do so. Adolescence is also a time of individuation, which present challenges for the parents and the family.
www.goodtherapy.org/individuation-in-therapy.html
I have two decades of experience working with troubled teenagers. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with teens as they learn to develop healthy, strong relationships, as well as faith in themselves, the adults in their lives, and sometimes in life itself. I am skilled at managing suicidality, emotional and behavioral crises, anger, co-dependency, depression, anxiety, experimentation with substance abuse, self-harm and self-sabotage, poor school performance/behavior, and oppositionality.
www.goodtherapy.org/therapy-for-self-harm.html
I will work with my adolescent clients to develop positive communication skills, healthy relationships with peers and adults, boundaries, coping and leisure skills. I will also meet them where they are in their quest to make change. I cannot, nor do I want to, force anyone to improve his or her health and wellness. If my teenage client is not ready to make change, we will work on building rapport and identifying what their needs are and how counseling can help them reach what goals they may have at that time.
When needed, and if possible, I will refer my teen clients to family therapy as well.
