Teletherapy in Houston
Adolescent Therapy
Is something going on with your teen?
Maybe you are going through a divorce, or perhaps your teen is going off to college. You may have noticed that your teen seems to be more withdrawn or simply more moody than "typical" teenagers. Perhaps you've seen self-harm scars on them or suspect they're suicidal.
Whatever it is that they’re experiencing, you’re beginning to notice the impact of this in every facet of their life:
Noticing they seem to be hiding something from you
Finding it difficult to have conversations with them, often leading to arguments
It seems to you that your teen has a general disinterest in school, work, friends
Adolescent Therapy can help.
It may feel impossible now, but you can have a healthy, communicative relationship with your teen. You can help your teen build confidence. You can learn to understand your teen. I can help them, and you get there.
Adolescent Therapy helps us do these things:
Helping your teen identify how they're feeling, thinking, and how to express this in ways others can understand
Giving them the tools to better their communication with others, specifically with their families
Helping your teen place value on themselves and build confidence
I'll help through this process, tailoring each step to your unique needs and circumstances. My approach to adolescent therapy comes from a place of understanding: ultimately, your teen feels they have no control in their life, but we can teach them the power they do have.
Yelling matches and acting out doesn't have to be your family's story.
FAQs about Adolescent Therapy
As their parent how much will I be involved with my teen's therapy?
I do my best to give the power over their treatment to the teens. As a result, I do my best to value and protect their confidentiality. In individual sessions with your teen, I will not say anything about what we discussed unless I believe they are in immediate danger to themselves or others.
Otherwise, I encourage your teen to bring you in and have a family session to talk about what is going on with them. I believe that teaching your teen how to communicate the things that are important or concerning to them and how you can respond to encourage this behavior is most important.
How often will my child be in therapy? When can they stop?
The number of sessions is something unique to every client. Often teens want to come in and talk weekly; it's their time to sort through all they are going through. The sessions need to be consistent as teens can sway easily from extremes, and we don't want things to worsen drastically without knowing.
As they improve, I like to make sessions less frequent until the teen feels comfortable stopping sessions entirely. Often this will last about six months, give or take, depending on the specifics that your teen is going through.
What kind of problems may my teen be experiencing?
What I've seen most in the teens that come to me is a mixture of depression and anxiety. School issues, family conflicts can bring this on, or sometimes just life transitions (divorce, college, or moving).
Often they struggle to communicate what is going on with them because they don't understand what is happening. Teens are filled with hormones, learning whom they want to be, and getting an influx of information from you, their parents, school, and friends.
It's a confusing time for your teen, and it's essential to do your best to listen to what they're trying to say.
How can I help my teen during this time?
Listen to them!
Often teens come to these sessions and share how they don't feel like their parents hear or understand them. Try to join the conversation from a place of curiosity and see it from their point of view. Taking this stance will help them feel less like you are attacking or judging them when you talk.
This is just one of the things I teach you as a family in our sessions.