Therapy for
Teens
Today's teens are facing more mental health challenges than ever before. My goal is to equip them with the skills and support they need to build confidence and truly thrive.
Are you concerned about your teenager’s emotional wellbeing?
Is your teenager wrestling with anxiety, depressoin, or another mental health challenge?
have you noticed them falling behind in school, skipping meals, or isolating themselves more than usual?
do you feel like you can’t get through to your teen, no matter how hard you try?
Maybe Your Teenager's Mood Has Become Unpredictable
Perhaps your teenager has been unusually withdrawn lately and doesn't want to spend time with their friends. Maybe their grades have slipped, their mood has become unpredictable, and they don't find joy in the activities they used to love. To cope with their challenges, they might be skipping meals, isolating themselves, or engaging in other unhealthy behaviors. These struggles can impact their day-to-day life and make you worried about their future. As a result, you might be considering talking to a teen therapist.
It’s Hard to Help a Struggling Teen, No Matter How Caring of a Parent You Are
You’ve probably done everything you can to help your teenager, only for them to keep dealing with the same issues again and again. Over time, this can lead to self-blame and self-criticism, and you might worry that you've done something wrong. It's also tough to figure out the best way to support your teen. You want to respect their independence, but you don't want to leave them to struggle alone. The good news is that you don't have to do it all alone. I've helped many teens work through anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, disordered eating, and other teen challenges. I am confident that I can help your child, too.
Life in the Social Media Age Is Full of Unprecedented Stress for Teens
Today's teens are facing a world full of unprecedented stressors. Social media in particular has added many new problems to their lives, creating a toxic “compare-and-despair” culture where they're always comparing themselves to unrealistic standards. For instance, many of the influencers they see are adults, and this creates pressure for teen girls to look, act, and dress like women twice their age. Now more than ever, teens are struggling.
Many Parents Struggle to Understand the Challenges of Today’s Teens
The world has changed a lot in the past few decades. Most parents had a wildly different adolescence than teenagers today. While some things, like peer pressure and school stress, remain the same, social media has created many more challenges that didn't exist when we were young. For example, it’s easy to protect teens in the real world, but how can you ensure they’re staying safe online? How can you help them navigate comparison culture?
These are questions many of us didn’t have to worry about as kids. As a result, we may not have all the answers to our teenager’s issues—and that’s okay. Sometimes we all need extra support in our parenting, and that's what I am here to provide.
I’m here for you.
Therapy is a supportive and empowering space for teens.
As a high school social worker right here on Long Island, I work with teens every single day. This means that aside from my private practice, I have a deep, real-world understanding of the challenges teens and children face today. My mission is to act as a neutral third party who can help your teen understand what they are going through and serve as a liaison between them and you. They need someone who will listen to them, validate their concerns, and accept them for who they are.
In addition to my experience with general mental health challenges, I also have experience working with special education needs, including Autism and other learning differences. My approach concentrates on exploring the root of your teen's struggles and the emotions that lie beneath their actions. I believe that "acting out" or "being rebellious" are signs of a deeper struggle. Rather than shaming them for their behavior, I want to empower them to overcome their pain and distress.
I have experience treating anxiety, depression, and many other teenage mental health issues. My goal is to help your teen learn new skills and be empowered to navigate their world with confidence.
Here’s what we’ll do together
Therapy for teens to learn life skills and tools they need to thrive through adolescence and into young adulthood.
What to Expect in Teen Counseling Sessions
My approach to therapy is very flexible, adapting to your teen's specific needs, goals, and age. While the majority of our sessions will be one-on-one with your teen, I always make sure parents play an active role. We can hold monthly phone calls and check-ins to discuss your teen’s progress and address any of your questions.
In my work, I use a wide range of evidence-based approaches to give teens tangible skills.
The Therapeutic Approach
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): I use DBT to teach teens distress tolerance skills so they can manage difficult emotions instead of self-sabotaging or avoiding their fears.
Internal Family Systems (IFS): This approach helps teens practice self-compassion and increase their self-awareness, enabling them to make decisions for the good of their future selves.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): I also use ACT to help teens identify their values and understand when their actions aren’t aligned with those values. This way, they can live more mindfully and become aware of how certain behaviors—like substance use or avoidance—impact their mental health.
Ultimately, my goal is to teach your teen how to use the skills they learn so they aren’t dependent on therapy. With my help and your support, I believe your teen can boost their confidence, improve their relationships, and learn to navigate the challenges of an increasingly complex world.
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When all is said and done, here’s the thing:
With my help and your support, your teen will boost their confidence, improve their relationships, and learn to navigate the challenges of an increasingly complex world.
What we’ll work on
Imagine a life where…
01 youR TEEN is present and invovled in family life again
We work together to stop the exhaustion and emotional distance, helping them re-engage with the people and activities they care about most.
02 your teen is excited about their future and not paralyzed by worry
We equip them with the confidence and self-trust needed to confidently pursue their goals after high school
03 your teen can communicate their needs clearly, and open conversation replaces constant conflict
We provide them with the skills to express their stress healthily, restoring peace and understanding in your home.
help them build skills for success.
Ready to help your teen trade digital fatigue for genuine self-esteem?
Questions?
FAQs
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It's very frustrating when your teenager is in therapy and you don't see any progress. The truth is, many counselors are not specialists in working with adolescents. As a trained professional and a school social worker right here in the community, working with high school students every day, you can trust that I get it. My approach is built on a wide range of specialized interventions, and I am confident that together, we can come up with a treatment plan that brings lasting and meaningful change into your teen’s life.
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Many teens worry that an adult will tell them what to do, and that's a valid concern. Think of it this way: if you don't connect with your classroom teacher, it's going to be hard to learn the class material. The same concept applies to therapy. My approach is supportive and empowering, and most of the teens I see find therapy to be both fulfilling and rewarding. I'm not here to tell you what to do. Just as you see a doctor when you don't feel physically well, therapy is a place to come when you don't feel emotionally well, so you can build the skills to feel like yourself again.
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Confidentiality is the most important part of building a trusting relationship with your teen. I use a limited confidentiality agreement, which means I will involve you in the treatment process without sacrificing the safe space your teen needs to open up. While the content of our sessions remains private between your teen and me, I will keep you informed of their progress. The only time I would break confidentiality is if I believed your teen was in danger of harming themselves or someone else.
kind words from real clients