Teen Therapy
Therapy for Teens in Colorado
The teen years are hard even in the best of situations. Teenagers face a combination of societal pressure, peer pressure, and academic pressure. Then, you add all of the changes they’re facing right now and everything going on in the world around them. At times, the stress can be debilitating.
In this new world of social media, technology, and social norms, it’s easy to feel lost in understanding the world teenagers are trying to navigate. Many times, teens have a whirlwind of emotions but just do not seem to know how to appropriately express them.
Your child is old enough to have their own thoughts, beliefs, and opinions. And yet, they still need you. They need you to provide guidance and support. They may want independence, but they’re not quite ready for it yet. Your teen is trying to create their own identity and figure out their place in the world. So, It’s no wonder so many teens experience stress, anxiety, and depression.
Common issues that bring teens to counseling:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Trauma
- Self-harm or suicidal thoughts
- Drug or Alcohol Use
- Identity Confusion
- Sexual or gender confusion
- Issues at school
- Problems getting along with parents and/or siblings
- Parental divorce or separation
- Grief and loss
Here are the common issues we hear from parents that seek our services:
- “How do I motivate my teen?”
- “My teenage son/daughter won’t talk to me.”
- “How do I communicate with my teen?”
- “What do I do when my teen will not listen and pushes me away?”
- “How should I discipline my son/daughter now that they’re a teenager?”
- “I cannot get him/her to see that their decisions are affecting their future.”
- “How do I change their behavior?
Your Teen's Brain is Not Fully Developed Yet
Did you know that your teen’s brain may not be fully developed until age 25? The teenage brain is still undergoing several changes that make it difficult for them to plan ahead, consider risk and reward, control their emotions, mitigate their impulses, and problem solve. These changes may lead to risky or seemingly thoughtless behavior.
On top of it all, dopamine which is the pleasure chemical in the brain is easily activated in a teen’s brain. And, doing things like hanging out with their friends, or engaging in pleasurable activities, makes them feel “alive.”
Unfortunately, because their brains are not fully developed, they are more inclined to seek this happy and stimulating feeling. They do so without any regard for the consequences of their actions. This can lead to teens being more susceptible to drug and alcohol use or hanging out with teens engaging in risky or thrill-seeking behaviors.
Our Approach to Teen Therapy in Colorado
We offer high-quality compassionate teen therapy. Our therapists are skilled in handling teen issues. They will help your teen learn how to overcome the challenges they are having in their life. Our therapists will do their best to make counseling a positive and healing experience. We want your teen to enjoy working with us. So, we will work hard at building a strong relationship with them so they will feel comfortable sharing their struggles.
In counseling, your teen will learn a variety of skills to help them cope with distress. We will help them uncover the source of their pain. Then, we will help them work through it in a safe and compassionate environment. We partner with your child to help them overcome the challenges they are facing.
We promise to treat them with the utmost respect and compassion. As therapists, our first goal is to make them feel comfortable and heard. We understand that they may be very nervous to talk to an adult about the challenges they are having, but we’ve heard it all. Our therapists want your teen to feel respected, so we want them to have a say in the counseling process. We will treat them as equals and respect their opinions.
The types of treatments we use during counseling depend on the issues your teen is having and the goals we have for therapy. During your child’s intake appointment, you will be given a chance to meet with their therapist. At this consultation, you can express your concerns and identify some things you would like them to work on in counseling. In the first couple of sessions, your teen and their therapist will work on identifying their strengths and areas for improvement. They will also create a set of goals for therapy.
Once your teen has established a relationship with their therapist they will be encouraged to talk about and process the things that are bothering them. They will learn and practice positive coping skills and mindfulness
techniques.
Online Teen Therapy in Colorado
We know that many teens may be busy. Between school, extracurricular activities, homework,
and social obligations, there is very little time for therapy. That’s why our therapists at offer
online teen therapy for adolescents living in the state of Colorado.
We offer convenient evening appointments to accommodate their schedule. We’ve found that many teens prefer thefamiliarity of meeting with a therapist online. And, online therapy is very successful in meeting their mental health goals.
Our Approach to Teen Therapy in Colorado
We offer high-quality compassionate teen therapy. Our therapists are skilled in handling teen issues. They will help your teen learn how to overcome the challenges they are having in their life. Our therapists will do their best to make counseling a positive and healing experience. We want your teen to enjoy working with us. So, we will work hard at building a strong relationship with them so they will feel comfortable sharing their struggles.
In counseling, your teen will learn a variety of skills to help them cope with distress. We will help them uncover the source of their pain. Then, we will help them work through it in a safe and compassionate environment. We partner with your child to help them overcome the challenges they are facing. We promise to treat them with the utmost respect and compassion.
As therapists, our first goal is to make them feel comfortable and heard. We understand that they may be very nervous to talk to an adult about the challenges they are having, but we’ve heard it all. Our therapists want your teen to feel respected, so we want them to have a say in the counseling process. We will treat them as equals and respect their opinions.
The types of treatments we use during counseling depend on the issues your teen is having and the goals we have for therapy. During your child’s intake appointment, you will be given a chance to meet with their therapist. At this consultation, you can express your concerns and identify some things you would like them to work on in counseling.
In the first couple of sessions, your teen and their therapist will work on identifying their strengths and areas for improvement. They will also create a set of goals for therapy.
Once your teen has established a relationship with their therapist they will be encouraged to talk about and process the things that are bothering them. They will learn and practice positive coping skills and mindfulness techniques.
A Note About Confidentiality and Teen Therapy
As a parent, we absolutely understand how hard it is to watch your teen struggle. We know you want to be involved in their lives and help “fix” their problems. We understand your concern and your desire to be informed, but please trust our therapists with your teen’s care.
We want your child to feel comfortable opening up to them without fear of punishment or judgment. Allowing your teen to share in a confidential place builds trust with their therapist. Then, they will open up and talk about the hard things. This allows progress to be made and goals to be met. Your child’s therapist will give you a brief overview of their progress after therapy. But, they will not tell you the nature of the things they discuss privately.
However there is an exception to this, if the therapist feels that your child, or their behavior, poses a danger to themself or others then they are legally obligated to disclose this information. Likewise, if you ever feel like your child is a danger to themself or others, please let their therapist know immediately. If the threat of harm is imminent please take them to your local emergency room or call 9-1-1 or the national suicide hotline. Self-harm or suicidal thoughts should always be taken very seriously and be disclosed to a licensed mental health professional.
Please, don’t wait to get help.
Teen Counseling Can Help With:
- Skills for handling school and life
- Increased self confidence
- Reducing feelings of depression
- Coping with stress
- Decreased anxiety
- Increased energy
- Communication skills
- Self Esteem
- Managing anger and frustrations
- Ability to appropriately express thoughts and feelings
Sometimes all it takes is having an outside person to reinforce what you’ve been trying to get
through to your teen all along. Sometimes there are deeper issues occurring that need someone
with trained professional experience to treat. Both are excellent reasons to seek a therapist for
your teen.
Not Sure What To Expect...
No problem. Just click the “book now” button to schedule a free 15 minute consultation.
You can ask all the questions you have and see if we are a good fit for your teen. We work
in-person in Lakewood, Colorado, but also serve other areas of Colorado virtually. This
includes: Wheat Ridge, Denver, Arvada, Golden, Littleton, Summit County, Grand Junction,
and more.