Teen Therapy

What Therapy Looks Like for Teens

I don’t expect a teenager to walk into my office excited to talk about their feelings—or even convinced that therapy is necessary. We can start wherever they are.

Sometimes that means talking about the thing that happened at lunch that day. Sometimes it’s friendships, parents, school, dating, or the one teacher who is driving them absolutely crazy. And sometimes we spend time figuring out why something that seems like it shouldn’t be a big deal feels like such a big deal anyway.

My style is conversational and collaborative. I’m not going to sit silently and expect your teen to fill the hour, and I’m not interested in making every conversation feel serious or clinical. There’s room for humor, random stories, and getting to know each other alongside the harder stuff.

Over time, we start noticing patterns together—what makes them shut down, what gets their brain stuck in a loop, why they’re so hard on themselves, or what makes certain situations feel so much harder than others. From there, we can work on ways to handle those moments differently without asking them to become a completely different person.

The relationship comes first. If a teen doesn’t feel comfortable being themselves with me, the rest of the therapy stuff isn’t going to be very useful.

Anxiety and overthinking

School stress and burnout

Social struggles or friendship issues

Low self confidence

Identity exploration

Family conflict

Eating and body image concerns

Feeling overwhelmed or emotionally stuck

Many teens also struggle with putting pressure on themselves to keep everything together. Therapy can help them learn how to manage that pressure in healthier ways.

I believe therapy works best when teens feel like they are talking to a real person, not being analyzed.

My style is warm, collaborative, and down to earth. I draw from approaches such as somatic therapy, mindfulness, and parts work to help teens better understand their emotions and how their nervous system responds to stress.

Working with teens has been a focus of mine since the beginning of my career as a therapist. I have always felt drawn to this stage of life because it can be such an important and formative time.

As someone who struggled with undiagnosed anxiety during my own high school years, I understand how confusing and isolating that experience can feel. That personal perspective has shaped the way I approach therapy with teens today. I aim to create a space where they feel safe being honest about what they are going through and supported as they learn new ways to manage stress, emotions, and relationships.

At the center of my work is building a genuine connection so teens feel respected, understood, and supported.

If you are considering therapy for your teen, you are not alone.

Many parents reach out because they notice their teen struggling but feel unsure how to help without pushing them away.

Therapy can offer teens a space to talk about things they might not feel comfortable discussing at home while also giving them tools to handle stress, emotions, and relationships more confidently.

When helpful, I collaborate with parents to support the teen both in and outside of therapy.

I work with teens in-person in Suwanne, and also offer virtual therapy for residents throughout Georgia.