Adolescent Psychotherapy
Many parents and guardians say that sometimes they don’t know what to expect from their adolescents. One minute they can seem like adults: intelligent, articulate, and thoughtful.
The next minute they’re acting more like children: exploding over something that seems small, being overwhelmed by their feelings, or getting into arguments for what seems like nothing but the sake of arguing.
These big shifts can be a normal part of adolescence (your teen also feels the whiplash) and so it’s no surprise that they show up in therapy as well.
Some teens can sit and talk, exploring their rich, inner worlds in a way that even adults strive for. Some teens need to use a distraction, like a cell phone or magazine, in order to get some distance from difficult feelings and thoughts. Some teens say they need to be left alone, but then constantly check over their shoulder to make sure you're still there and still available for them. Some teens do all these things in the same session.
This is all to say that I roll with the changes in order to meet the shifting needs of adolescent clients no matter how they show up on any given day.
For the Teens
So far what I’ve written here addresses parents and caregivers. The reason is simple: most of the time they initiate therapy. But when I write just for parents it leaves something important out… you.
Therapy for a teen is similar to therapy for an adult: it doesn’t work unless you want it to. The more open you can be and the more work you put in, the more you get out of it.
When we meet, I might be curious about:
What’s your life like?
Are your romantic, friendship, and family relationships fulfilling?
What drives you, what do you value, and how do you see yourself and the world?
Who do you think really understands you? Or does nobody?
Are certain feelings or thoughts too scary to admit you have, even to yourself?
Do you want to learn more about who you really are?
These are the some of the realms we might touch on in therapy.
You should know that I may occasionally meet with your parents. I’ll support them in their desire to have a great relationship with you.
However, you should also know that I very much value your confidentiality. Therapy doesn’t work without privacy.
This means that if I meet with parents I do not tell them what we discuss in your sessions.
I believe that families are happiest when they communicate well with each other, so if I’m asked a specific question about something you’ve told me in confidence, I’ll simply ask them to speak with you directly.
If you’ll be coming to therapy soon or are just considering trying therapy, start thinking now about what you’d like to get out of it. You might also want to check out the other sections of my website to learn more about how I work or find answers to commonly asked questions.