Teens
Approach
One of my greatest professional gifts is being allowed to walk alongside teens and their families as they navigate the complexity of adolescence. Letting a professional adult “in” can be scary for teens. Over the past 20 years, I have developed the art of joining with teens using authenticity, humor, acceptance, and compassion. I have the utmost respect and admiration for this age group. I help teens to notice and evaluate their choices while building their own value system and sense of agency.
Parent Focus
I work with parents to keep the lines of communication open with their teens. As teens grow and develop more independence, they need a critical relationship with their parents where they feel seen and understood. Parents serve as the secure base while their teen explores their own identity and develops whom they want to be in this world. Teens need continued validation, encouragement, and guidance and I support parents in the transition from their child’s “manager” to their child’s “consultant”.
Challenges I Can Help With
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Social challenges: withdrawal, isolation, lack of friends, overly dependent, peer conflict
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Attention or Hyperactivity: difficulty concentrating or organizing, acts before thinking, appears forgetful, difficulty completing school work, makes careless mistakes
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Anxiety: fears, phobias, worries, needs to be perfect, performance anxiety
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Depression: is lonely, feels sad and depressed, isolated, withdrawn
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Behavioral problems: doesn’t follow rules at home or school, low frustration tolerance, emotional outbursts
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Loss: from death, illness or other life changes such as divorce
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Witnessing or experiencing trauma
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Substance use experimentation
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Sexuality and relationships
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Gender identity confusion/discontent
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Coping with medical conditions within the family
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Navigating a neurotypical world