Counseling for Teens
Hey! If you are looking at this page, I'm guessing you are either a teen who is potentially interested in seeing what I am all about, or you are a caretaker of a teen interesting in learning whether I can help the teen you love. If you are a caretaker, you can scroll down to the next section, which is aimed at you. Right now though, I'd rather chat with your teenager. Ok, am I talking to the teen now? Ok, good, just checking.
So here is the general deal. Adolescence is all about being between two worlds: you aren't a child anymore, but you are not yet an adult. Adults in your life are most likely either treating your like a kid or putting pressure on you to act like an adult. This leads to a whole heck of a lot of frustration for you. And those horrible feelings of being misunderstood, underestimated, and undervalued. Now add to that the social pressures at school, and those annoying people who seem to be against your success, and the workload that sucks, and the agony of figuring out what your next move will be after high school. Now sprinkle onto all of that a healthy dose of hormones swirling around in a tornado, that make your body and your emotions unpredictable and overwhelming. Does that sound like a good time? No, not so much. Some people would say to just hang in there or grin and bear it until you are old enough to be free and on your own. But that's not very satisfying. I would rather you actually have a quality life in your teen years instead of just trying to get through them. And you know what? That's actually possible. No, really! One of the most vital part of life as a teen is that your relationship with your parents and other adults should change. But sometimes adults are not eager to change, continuing to see you as the little kid you've been. Part of my promise is to help parents understand how to support you and allow your relationship to develop where it should. I am fluent in "adult speak" and can help translate for you :) I know you don't know me, and have no reason to believe me, but if you could just take a chance that I may have some ideas that can make you feel better, I think you and I could accomplish some good things. Plus...we have fun. No, really! What good is counseling if it isn't fun? We will chat a bunch but we will also play games, contemplate the world and your future, go outside and enjoy nature when we can, and generally make it up as we go along. You're not a child anymore, so you get a big say in how counseling goes and the goals we set. Come in and see what we are all about. I bet you'll be glad you did. All you have to do is try it out. |
"This is the first therapy I've ever been to where I wasn't constantly looking at the clock."
"I didn't want to believe that counseling was something I needed. But Dr. Jenn did actually help me. I wish I had gone to her when I was younger. She listened and made it fun. She believes in me. ""Dr. Jenn is a goofball. For real. But she knows how to make your life better. So she's a smart goofball.""She said what I was thinking, even when I wasn't saying it out loud. I don't know how she did that. But I feel so much better. And I can stand up for myself now. And that's everything." |
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Hi Parents/Caretakers!
If you are reading this, you are likely looking for someone to help the teen you love. I'd be happy to help. It can be frustrating to see your loved one struggling, and it can be frustrating to be watching the struggle. It is vital that you remember the reality of being a teenager today - some things are similar to what you experienced, and many things are different. Teens have the full emotional capacity that adults do, but they are still developing their brains to effectively manage those emotions and the environment around us. And just to add to an already big pile of inner chaos, most teenagers won't feel they are still developing, they will feel fully cooked. They often feel they can take on the world and everything it wants to throw down, but when they experience struggle instead of a smooth sail, it can be confusing and scary.
But it's not all tough! Our teenaged years are also some of the most exciting, and the most fun. My tasks with every adolescent I counsel, regardless of why they come see me, are: to explain what challenges they will face, give them loads of coping skills to weave through the time in the healthiest, most enjoyably way, identify and build on their strengths, and to develop emotional resiliency that will become a foundation they will use for the rest of their lives. I also work to improve any communication wrinkles between teen and parent/caretaker. Come check out what we can do for your family.
If you are reading this, you are likely looking for someone to help the teen you love. I'd be happy to help. It can be frustrating to see your loved one struggling, and it can be frustrating to be watching the struggle. It is vital that you remember the reality of being a teenager today - some things are similar to what you experienced, and many things are different. Teens have the full emotional capacity that adults do, but they are still developing their brains to effectively manage those emotions and the environment around us. And just to add to an already big pile of inner chaos, most teenagers won't feel they are still developing, they will feel fully cooked. They often feel they can take on the world and everything it wants to throw down, but when they experience struggle instead of a smooth sail, it can be confusing and scary.
But it's not all tough! Our teenaged years are also some of the most exciting, and the most fun. My tasks with every adolescent I counsel, regardless of why they come see me, are: to explain what challenges they will face, give them loads of coping skills to weave through the time in the healthiest, most enjoyably way, identify and build on their strengths, and to develop emotional resiliency that will become a foundation they will use for the rest of their lives. I also work to improve any communication wrinkles between teen and parent/caretaker. Come check out what we can do for your family.
Have questions about how this all works? We got you covered. These tabs below will bring you to pages loaded with information about what to expect, how therapy works, and any forms you might be asked to submit. Parents and teens should each peruse the information in these tabs to get familiar with how I aim to help you. If you still have questions, don't hesitate to shoot us an email by clicking on the CONTACT button at the bottom of your screen.
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