Therapy for Teens

Online & in person in new york

Being a teenager in today’s world can be tough.

Maybe a big “blow-up” or life-threatening event has happened, or perhaps your teen confided in you and asked for help. As a parent/caretaker, you find yourself worried about them. You watch them juggling school, sports, decisions about college, relationship with friends or significant others, all while comparing themselves to people on social media and wondering what others have that they don’t. Now you are not sure what to do next.

Whatever it is that they’re experiencing, you’re beginning to notice the impact of this in every aspect of their life:

  • Struggling to stay focused and efficient in school

  • Having a hard time making friends

  • Noticing them getting angry more often

  • Feeling disconnected from and arguing with family members

  • Isolating

  • Feeling shame or low self-esteem

Depression and numbness don’t have to be their story.

A message for your teen:

So, you were sent to therapy. Your parent, caretaker or someone from school thinks you should talk to someone. Or maybe you’re tired of being on an emotional rollercoaster each day and you’re ready for some relief. No matter the reason, the thought of sharing your most personal information with a stranger sounds like a total turn off. Not to mention you’ve heard stories before about people going to therapy because they got in trouble or because they were weak and couldn’t handle life. I hear you and I see you! I also know that when life gets tough, having someone to talk to can feel freeing and less lonely. Being a teen can be really hard. Sometimes it feels like you’re having the best time of your life and other times it really sucks. It may feel impossible now, but you can feel confident in yourself and happy. You are not alone! We can use our sessions to help you in:

  • learning about yourself and what to do when things get overwhelming

  • exploring ways to communicate better and more efficient

  • discovering what kind of adult you’d like to be

I can help you get there and I want to hear YOUR story from YOU (not someone else)! I’ll help through this process, tailoring each step to your unique needs and circumstances. We will spend time getting to know each other, so you can feel safe to share your worries with another imperfect human being - yup, that’s me! My approach to teen therapy comes from a place of hope and empowerment: believing that you’re not the “problem”, but it’s simply the cycle you’re in that needs more understanding so you can make the positive changes you’d like to see in your life.

What else we’ll work on

Therapy can help you:

  • Identify triggers that make you feel less in control

  • Think about yourself in a realistic way

  • Identify what’s important to you and how you can communicate that to others

  • Reduce suicidal ideation and replace self-harm with healthy coping strategies

  • Learn the tools you can use to regain control, so you can move forward with confidence

  • Express yourself in a way that promotes self-regulation, connection and self protection

You have incredible gifts, strengths, & potential.

I’M HERE TO HELP you discover that.

FAQS

Common questions about therapy for teens

  • I strongly believe in the collaboration between you, me and the significant adults in your life in order to make the most out of your treatment. Your parents/caretakers can gain a deeper understanding of what you’re going through, learn new ways to communicate with you, and provide consistency in and out of therapy, supporting you to practice skills learnt in our sessions at home, as well. That being said, you are the one who sets the tone and rhythm of our sessions, of who you want to be included and how often. I will follow your pace, staying curious about your motivations, concerns and goals.

  • Anything we talk during our sessions, stays in our sessions. However, there are some exceptions to this rule: in case you are in immediate danger, you have intention to harm someone else, or there is suspected abuse or neglect of a child or elder. I highly value working together, thus we will have consistent conversations about confidentiality and I will let you know beforehand what information will be shared and when. In any of these circumstances, we will ask for the support of a trusted adult in your life and I will make every effort to work with you to ensure your safety, safety of others, and the best way to navigate it together.

  • This is based on your own journey, your needs and goals for treatment. I typically see you once a week at first, this allows for therapy to move along at a good pace. We can discuss this together and make a plan that fits for you, because your needs come first.