TEEN THERAPY
Teenage years can be rough on parents and teens alike. It's not uncommon for adolescents to feel out of place, depressed, irritable and/or anxious. Parents and teens may struggle to communicate. Even though teens love to say things are "fine," most of the time they aren't. Middle school and high school can wear on self esteem and confidence and the reality is most teens don't want to talk to their parents about their personal lives.
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I'm someone who is not their parent, their friend, their teacher. I have no judgement on where they are at in their life or choices they've made. Let's face it, being a teenager can suck and it's nice to have someone on your side but not in the drama.
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I help teens develop skills to express themselves in ways that can be heard. Instead of living with a muddle of emotions, teens who work with me learn to articulate feelings and needs in a way that empowers them as young adults. We work on skills to reduce anxiety, move through depression, avoid or stop self harm (ie cutting, burning, abusive relationships), and improve communication with parents and peers.
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Teens usually wish to meet alone, without parents, or sometimes they wish for a space to be able to talk with their parents - I am happy to honor the decision of the teen, but always strive to keep communication open between the teen and parent(s).
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Adolescents over the age of 13 are treated as adults in Washington in terms of confidentiality. It is up to the adolescent to determine what information (if any) will be shared with parents. I always cover this in the first session, but please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.