Teen Therapy
Let’s face it. Parenting a teen, and being a teen these days is HARD.
Is your teen withdrawn, acting out, irritable, and/or not doing well in school and you have no clue how to help them? If so, you came to the right place. Maybe your teen is feeling stressed, anxious, or burdened by the demands of school. Maybe you often find them looking sad, unmotivated, and not interested in the things they used to do. Sometimes their distress may show up as anger and irritability, and it might feel like you’re walking on eggshells around them.
You’re desperate to help and provide a supportive hand, but it feels like no matter what you do or say, nothing really works. We know how hard it is to see someone you care about suffer, let alone your own child, and we want to help.
The reality is, pain and suffering is unavoidable. We can’t protect our children from ever experiencing the ups and downs of life. But we can teach our teens how to navigate through these painful times in a way where they don’t feel alone. We can teach them how to cope in healthy ways, ways that will inform how they handle stress as they move into their adult years.
More and more teens are facing bouts of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and stress.
The teenage years can be incredibly stressful and confusing for not only the teen, but also for the parents. An incredible amount of developmental change is happening within the teen, along with social and academic challenges that can make it very difficult to navigate without the proper support and guidance. Parents may have questions about what is common and healthy development as they observe their teen adopting more independence, and using more of their voice. Teens are facing more and more pressure from social and academic expectations, along with the difficulties of navigating social media. Families don’t have to go through it alone.
Relevant Blog Posts
Therapy for Teens: A Simple Guide for What to Expect
Teens face many problems in their daily lives. Some of these may be struggles with school, family, or friends. Others may be grappling with bigger issues like depression or anxiety. Therapy can help teens learn and understand themselves better, set goals, and develop...
Social Media and Adolescent Mental Health
Written by Azin Anees, Relucent Intern Social media plays a central role in the lives of adolescents, with over 94% of teenagers maintaining an online presence. According to a 2019 survey from Common Sense Media, teenagers spend 5-7 hours on platforms such as...
See below for common issues we treat for teens!
- Symptoms of depression and anxiety
- Stress management
- Peer relationship difficulties
- Academic pressures/time management
- Sexuality/Intimacy
- Family conflict, such as separation, divorce or blended family issues
- ADHD
- Behavioral concerns or acting out behaviors
- Abuse (emotional, physical or sexual)
- Gender/sexual identity
- Immigration/Cultural topics
- Body Image
- Grief/Loss
- College and career selection decisions
- Trauma
- Bullying
- Parent/sibling relationship struggles
Don’t see your issue on the list? No need to worry. These are just some of the topics we address in therapy, but it certainly isn’t an exhaustive list. Our therapists at Relucent have experience and training treating a wide variety of issues. If you’re wondering if your teen’s struggles are something we can help with, please don’t hesitate to schedule a free phone consultation. We’re happy to talk with you to see if we can help today!
How can therapy help my teen thrive?
Here at Relucent, we are committed to providing treatments to your teen that are evidence based and client centered, so you can feel certain that your teen is getting what they need. Our therapists will always provide an environment that is safe, confidential, and free of judgment. We offer individual therapy both in person and online, so no matter where you are within the state of California, you don’t have to be alone in navigating these challenging years. Through a trusting and supportive therapeutic relationship, your teen will experience the following during their therapy sessions:
- Feel supported and listened to in a safe and comfortable environment, whether it’s online or in person
- Better understand their symptoms, like their feelings of sadness, their scary thoughts, or their worried mind
- Understand just how common it is to experience really intense feelings that are hard to make sense of
- Better understand the stressors they’re struggling with, whether it’s relationships with peers, their own identity, or how they want to present themselves in the world, with a therapist who is genuinely interested and curious to learn about their authentic self
- Find new ways to cope with their symptoms that is unique and tailored to who they are as a person and what will be most effective for them
- Develop deeper relationships with family and friends so they can feel more supported and connected to loved ones in their day to day life
- Develop confidence, self esteem, self compassion, and feel empowered to overcome their challenges in the future
Our sessions are undoubtedly confidential. We adhere to HIPAA-compliant regulations regardless of if you’re meeting with your therapist online or in person. As a parent, we understand how important it is for you to be involved and made aware of certain topics. You can be certain that almost everything your therapist will discuss with your teen will remain completely private, with just a few exceptions. Those exceptions include:
- If your teen poses an imminent threat to themselves or others
- If anything is said that makes your therapist believe that your child may have been abused or neglected, or if they report anyone else is being abused or neglected
We encourage you to talk about any concerns you have about confidentiality with your therapist. We are happy to answer any questions you have to ensure that you can feel confident that your teen is in the best hands possible.
Unsure if your teen is open to therapy? Rest assured, we can help with that too.
Sometimes teens are not excited about the idea of talking to a therapist. We encourage all parents to not let that be the reason you don’t seek out help. This can be expected. The idea of therapy can feel scary for a teen. Feeling forced to talk about your most private feelings and thoughts would be horrible for anyone! So, we recommend having open, concrete, and positive conversations with your teen about the process, focusing on the numerous benefits of therapy. Also, you may want to include them in the process of choosing their therapist so they feel like they are involved in the process. Encourage them to read our therapist bios, and invite them to be present for the free phone consultation if they wish. We can even offer a brief virtual or in person meet and greet with their new therapist to ensure they feel as comfortable and at ease as possible before their first session. If you are having concerns about the first session and questioning whether or not your teen will attend and/or participate, let us know! We can give you specific ideas on how to make your teen more comfortable based on their unique situation.
So what are the next steps?
Beginning therapy with the right therapist can be a powerful and life changing experience in almost every aspect of your life and your teen’s life. That’s why we provide free consultations so you can ensure that the therapist you’re matched with will be a great fit for you and your teen.
Finding a therapist in general can feel daunting and confusing, and if this is the first time you’re looking for a therapist, it can be hard to know what exactly to look for. We want to help you make this decision, and feel completely comfortable with the therapist you pick. For these reasons, we encourage you to look through our therapist bios, our FAQs, and our blog.
If you’re also wondering if psychological testing could be useful in helping you answer some questions you may have about your teen’s social, emotional, or cognitive functioning, we invite you to read more about our psychological testing services.