Therapy for Adolescents & Teens

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

 CBT is an evidence-based therapy for depression, anxiety and much more! It can help to reduce distress and improve your child’s ability to function. CBT can be used with school-aged children and youth. CBT helps children and youth become more aware of their thoughts, actions and feelings so they can view difficult situations more clearly and respond more effectively. CBT also encourages youth to practice more helpful behaviors in their day to day lives.

They learn how to gradually face situations they fear rather than avoid them (in the case of anxiety) or to be more active (in the case of depression).

CBT teaches you to examine and change the way you:

  • Think (cognitive)

  • Act (behavior)

  • Feel (emotionally and physically)

What we THINK affects how we act and feel. What we DO affects how we think and feel. How we FEEL affects what we think and do.

I will teach your child how to interrupt the cycle by helping him/her to create helpful thoughts, modify and replace unhelpful behaviors, and teach strategies to feel better.

Creating a nonjudgmental, supportive therapeutic atmosphere- with clear boundaries to learn emotional and behavioral self-regulation.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT Informed-Therapy)

DBT informed practice will teach your adolescents or teens the techniques needed to help them understand their emotions (without judgment) and also give them skills to manage those emotions and change behaviors in ways that will make their lives better. DBT skills are life skills that set your child up for success.

The skills focus on how to help your child:

  • Manage attention (mindfulness skills)

  • Manage and cope with emotions (emotion regulation skills)

  • Deal effectively with others (interpersonal effectiveness skills)

  • Tolerate difficult emotions (distress tolerance skills)

  • Solving problems and problem behaviors

What type of challenges are best suited for DBT-Informed Therapy?

  • Problems with intense emotions (i.e., intense sadness)

  • Frequent mood swings

  • Impulsive behaviors that can be dangerous

  • Difficulty building and maintaining healthy relationships

  • Anger and anger management

  • Thoughts about self-harm, self-harming behaviors

  • Eating disorders such as bingeing & purging

I support adolescents and teens with:

  • Academic struggles and learning disabilities 

  • ADD/ADHD

  • Anxiety

  • Anger problems/emotional dysregulation

  • Body image issues

  • Bullying

  • Depression

  • Identity development

  • Life transitions (moves, divorce, remarriage, adoption)

  • Relationships

  • Self-esteem

  • Self-harm/Self-Injury

  • Social skills coaching

  • Trauma