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Therapy For Teens
Hey, teen. I’m so glad you found your way here.
When we’re not feeling great, it can be especially hard to reach out for help. The fact that you’re reading this is awesome and I want to start by giving you major props. GREAT JOB.
If you’re reading this, it is possible that you’re having a hard time or that something is hurting in your life. Something is not quite working or you feel stuck.
It’s also possible that your Mom or Dad is forcing you to look at my website. I get it. No matter why you're reading this , I’m glad that you’re here.
You're not so sure ...
This thing called counseling can be pretty confusing. There are a lot of myths about counseling, right?
Like you have to lay on a couch. Or that you’ll be forced to talk to an adult that is old, smells like mold, and couldn’t possibly get your world. Or that it’s for people that “really have issues” (not true by the way). It’s boring. Therapists are going to tell you what to do. Therapists respond to everything with, “How does that make you feel?” The biggest myth about counseling that I want to debunk is this: Therapists won’t understand you. Not really.
As a therapist, I really do want to understand what is going on in your life.
Curious About Counseling?
Check out these videos.
So what is counseling like?
If we don’t feel understood, we are not very likely to try something new. In counseling, we take the time to understand your world. And then, and only then, can we take the next step toward something that may feel better.
Oh my gosh, you’re still reading. AWESOME!
Here are 25 reasons a teen might go to counseling:
1. Nerves get the best of you before a test. 2. You’re feeling a lot of pressure in school, your classes are really tough, and you’re having a hard time keeping up. 3. For the first time, you’re noticing some learning and processing pieces that haven’t bothered you in the past. This year your classes feel tougher. 4. Last year, your friend group was great. However, you came back to school this year and everything changed. It’s hard to understand why your friend group is always slipping through your fingers. Feeling excluded is painful. 5. You’re surrounded by people but you feel lonely. 6. You’ve been a target of cyber-bullying. 7. You’re self-medicating with cannabis or alcohol and over time it’s actually made you feel worse. 8. You don’t know how to stop what feels like constant fighting at home. 9. You don’t like what you see when you look in the mirror. 10. Your self-esteem took a hit this year and is only as high as the last comment someone made about you. 11. You broke up with your boyfriend or girlfriend for the first time and you really miss them. 12. You’re scared about the future. 13. You can’t stand to have one more person ask you, “Where do you want to go to college?” 14. You feel angry, anxious, or sad all the time and you don’t know why. It doesn’t seem like there is a reason and that really scares you. 15. You’re having a hard time getting out of bed. 16. Negative thoughts about yourself are overwhelming. You can’t remember the last time you thought something positive about yourself and you don’t know how that inner voice got to be so cruel. 17. You feel like you’re asking for help, but no one hears you. 18. It feels like the adults in your life don’t get it and they have no idea what you’re going through. 19. You don’t know how to put words to what you’re going through. 20. You don’t know how to ask for what you need. 21. You have lost hope that things could get better. 22. You dread the future. 23. You feel like years were stolen from you during the pandemic. Everyone is asking you to move forward, but you feel “young” for your grade and are not ready for next steps. 24. You feel like life is moving too fast and you want to say, “Hang on, I need to slow down.” 25. You’re coping in some really unhealthy ways, but you don’t know what else to do to make the emotional pain stop. These are all really good reasons to come to counseling.
Just wanting a safe space to talk about your life?
That is a great reason to come to counseling.
Okay, now that we’ve talked a little about what counseling is for, let’s talk a little bit about what you can expect.
1. 50 minutes devoted totally to you where you can talk about anything and everything going on in your life. 2. A safe place where there isn’t any judgment. 3. A confidential space. What you say in the room, stays in the room (outside issues regarding safety). 4. We can meet in person, online, or a combination of both options, whatever is the best fit for you. 5. We can meet once a week, every other week, etc., following your lead as far as frequency of appointments. Teen life can be very busy. 6. If we meet for the first time and it doesn’t feel like a good fit, I totally get it. The most important part of counseling is that you find someone that you can open up to about anything and everything. If it’s not me, I will refer you to some of my rock star colleagues and help you get connected.
So what's the first step?
I am here to walk you through every step of the process. See below for a step-by-step guide.
Contact
Email janelle@teentranslation.com or call 415.237.1720 to set up an initial phone call. Your parents can help!
Initial Phone Call
We will go over a few questions and make sure that this is the best fit for your unique counseling goals.
Schedule Appointment
We’ll schedule an initial appointment. Absolutely no pressure here. Think of it as a “trial run” in which you get a feel for the process.
Good fit?
After the initial appointment, take your time to think it through. Remember, you are in the driver’s seat. It is important that you decide whether it feels like a good fit.
Great job.
Great job taking this super important first step today. I look forward to meeting you. And whatever it is you're going through, counseling can be a place where you don't have to do it by yourself.
Janelle Ault, LMFT