Teens and Therapy

Being a teen-ager is hard - super hard. Being their parent can be even harder.  I know that there are times when you struggle to comprehend where your child is coming from and what they are dealing with. Communicating  with your adolescent may have gotten to the point where it mainly consists of regular conflict and their responses sound like this....  'I don't want to talk about it' and 'everything is fine.'   Then the door slams and the adolescent returns to their technology. Maybe you feel you are living with a stranger and perhaps your child's behavior is hard to understand, secretive or dangerous?  Living in an environment - where you are walking on eggshells - creates challenges for the entire family system. If this is your situation - I understand this type of angry presentation! Your child is working very hard to keep you out - while they attempt to figure out the emotions going on inside. It is completely possible for you and your child rebuild communication and understanding.

I will meet individually with your child to assist them in processing their issues and to improve their ability to communicate their needs.

Teens and Trauma

As adults - I think we do a poor job of explaining the challenges of working through any trauma to the youth in our lives. Trauma is loss and it presents itself in myriad ways. It could be the loss of a beloved grandparent or family member, divorce of parents,  the death of a pet, being bullied or the first heartbreak. All of these events are significant - and as a clinician- it is critical to focus the appropriate attention on the teens' process. They must be taught about the mechanics of grief and how to normalize their confusing emotions. This is an area of expertise for me.

Communicate!

Communicating effectively between two people is a skill that needs to be practiced regularly.  While working with your child - we will schedule regular family sessions. In these sessions - I will teach you methods to improve your ability to listen and to respond - not react.  Through the use of conflict resolution skills and techniques, you will improve your ability to communicate assertively with all you interact with!