Adolescents

Adolescence is a critical time of transition in a person’s life, full of significant change and growth. As children enter this period in their lives they are figuring out who they are while juggling shifting roles in their family, expectations, peer and academic pressures. This time can be turbulent and difficult for the whole family to navigate, often wrought with confusion and frustration. How does one negotiate their identity no longer relating to others as a child, but not yet as an adult? Who do they trust to support them in this endeavor? On this search, teens are in desperate need of compassion, empathy, and an endless amount of patience. Such understanding also must be within the frame of clear consistent boundaries, which is not an easy task for parents juggling myriad personal, professional, and familial relationships.

Many youths are in need of a sanctuary from the struggles, insecurities, and isolation they face, where they can explore who they are with a non-judgmental, outside source. In my work with teens, I first and foremost foster a space where they feel truly safe to open up and trust in our relationship. This is balanced with involving parents, other family members, and persons of importance in the teen’s life as appropriate, in the best interest of the adolescent’s growth and development. Therapy can help children and adolescents develop a more secure and healthy identity and understanding of themselves, improve communication skills, and resolve conflicts both inside and outside the home.

I work with children and adolescents on a variety of issues including: