Individual Therapy for Adolescents
The individual therapy process can be fruitful for adults and adolescents alike.
My emphasis is on the adolescent patient feeling agency and ownership over their own treatment. I follow the patient’s lead around involving their parents. With the exception of safety concerns, I encourage the adolescent to determine what, if any, findings from our sessions they would like to share with their parents and to lead those conversations themselves, with myself serving as a mediator if helpful.
Our focus will be on internal experience rather than outward behavior. Through this inquiry, adolescents come to understand their own feelings and preferences, independent of familial or societal pressure, enabling them to make choices based on their personal goals and values rather than unconscious needs to comply or rebel.
How it Works
1
I will meet for a free 20-minute phone consultation with the adolescent, the parent(s), or both to discuss the presenting issues and my way of working.
2
If we mutually agree that this process could benefit you, we will schedule a full consultation of approximately three 45-minute in-person or virtual meetings. Around our third meeting, we will provide one another with feedback and I will make treatment recommendations, which may include ongoing individual therapy with me or a referral to a different level of care or specialist.
3
If we decide to work together, we will meet regularly, typically weekly for 45-minute sessions. Therapy usually lasts for a sustained period. It will not last forever, as no relationships do, and we will work collaboratively to notice your progress and end or suspend treatment when you are ready.