Specialty –Teens

 Have you been looking for someone that can work with tweens, teens and young adults?  This age group sometimes get a bad rap  because they are mouthy, defiant, angry, lazy or maybe acting out with dangerous behavior. These young men and women are wells of potential and often can benefit from the neutral perspective of a therapist. With individual and family therapy we can help our adolescents harness their potential and move through school, life, relationships and beyond.

The teen age years can be very difficult for families.  Teens are often caught in a struggle for their identity and independence from the family but don't yet have all the tools they need to succeed. What is even more challenging is that adolescents often distance themselves from their parents when they need them the most.

This is a complicated time to be a young person growing up. With so many choices and increased freedom comes greater consequences for our children's behavior. Couple that with the volumes of research that demonstrates how an adolescents brain is not fully developed until age 25 and you have some real concerns. What's more, the last part of the brain to develop is the part that controls impulse and decision making abilities.

Our children need two basic things, boundaries (rules and limits) and attachment (love and caring).  Yet, it is incredibly difficult to know how much and what type of limits and caring our teens need.

When our teens act out they are communicating to us that something is not "right".  This communication comes in forms such as defiance, self harm, sexual promiscuity, drug and alcohol use, anger and laziness.

Family therapy coupled with individual therapy can be extremely effective in addressing the concerns of your teen. Collaborating with the family helps maximize the progress by helping the family adapt to and support the changes.