Helping teens sort through the stressors of school, family, friends, & their inner world.
for the teens:
ChatGPT.
TikTok.
Discord servers.
it’s rough out there.
between expectations and doomscrolling, it’s not easy figuring out how you’re doing or feeling.
maybe you’ve thought:
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You question if you actually have friends, or just people to socialize with. You don’t know how to really open up or connect with the people around you. You wonder if anyone else struggles with this too, or is it just you?
You feel out of place in your family, so you hide away in your room. Your parents compare you to your sibling(s) or seem checked out when you ask them something.
You feel incredibly lonely, even when you’re around others.
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Between the pressure to figure out what career you want or which college you should attend, you’re struggling with your math class.
Or maybe you’re wondering what life will look like now that your parents are getting divorced.
On top of that, one of your favorite TikTokers keeps posting scary updates about the world and you’re not sure what you’re supposed to think.
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You wonder how anyone could feel comfortable in your body. Maybe you avoid mirrors or you spend hours in the bathroom trying to perfect how you look.
Or maybe it’s the thought of having to share your opinion or speaking up in front of others that sends you spiraling. You want to be more self-assured, but the anxiety makes it feel like your body is frozen.
you’re not alone
and you don’t have to keep feeling this way.
For the Caregivers:
You care, but whenever you try to talk,
they shut you out or it ends in frustration.
If you worry:
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You try to ask how their day was, but they respond in one-word answers.
You want to help give advice, but they never ask and get upset when you offer.
You wonder if it’s something you’re doing or if there is another way you can better connect.
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You’re not sure if your teen had something happen recently and they’re still processing.
They’ve seemed checked out for a while and now you’re concerned.
Maybe they’ve started keeping to themselves more than usual and don’t want to talk when you ask them what’s up.
They don’t know that you see their red eyes from crying, but you do.
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You’ve tried to bring up talking about feelings and have gotten eye rolls or snappy responses, so you wonder if they’ll fully explode if you ask about finding a therapist.
This is extremely normal. Stigma around mental health is still an issue and this topic is hard to bring up.
Let them partner with you in the search and find someone who will help them feel comfortable talking about topics they normally avoid.
You don’t have to do this alone. You can support your teen and get them the help they need.
You see them struggling. You want to help, but you don’t know where to start.
Being a teenager is a challenge (and so is raising one). You’re not struggling because something is wrong with you, but you may benefit from some external help. When you’re not feeling well, you go see a doctor and when your tooth hurts, you check in with the dentist. So we should normalize meeting with a therapist when you’re struggling or want to talk through things that have been bothering you.
If you need another analogy, we can think about baking. If you’re missing a key ingredient, your cake may not rise. Or if you add the wrong spice, you may get a mouthful of something that tastes awful. When we’re out of sync internally or are trying to cope with our struggles by numbing out or shutting down, we don’t thrive in the ways we want. Our work will help you figure out what ingredients you’re working with and how to mix them together in order to create something you can be proud to share.
Nervous? Let me paint you a picture of what to expect: the office is cozy, there are snacks, and across from you is a therapist whose specialty is helping people feel comfortable, even while discussing tough or embarrassing topics.
Therapy with me starts with identifying the areas you’re hoping to work on, such as feeling less anxious and more confident. Then we’ll work together to dig into what is getting in the way of what you’re wanting for yourself. We’ll explore feelings, better understand our struggles, and get curious about our inner voice and how it speaks to you. As we work, you may start to notice the ways you catch things that used to trigger a negative reaction don’t seem to have quite the same response as it once did. Over time, you’ll begin to feel more settled in who you are.
Sometimes help comes from a cozy office and therapist who helps you feel comfortable digging into the tough stuff.
Therapy can help you…
Learn to express yourself in ways that help you use your voice and be heard by others
Feel more comfortable in your body
Spend less time comparing yourself to others
Recognize what tends to shut you down or makes you want to disconnect or numb out
Identify the safe spaces and people around you when things feel overwhelming
Genuinely connect with your family and friends
Feel better able to connect to yourself, your goals, and feel more confident about your future
Let’s help you feel confident in yourself, comfortable with others, and ready to tackle whatever the future holds.
