Therapy for Teens
When “I’m Fine” Is the Only Answer You’ve Got
Being a teenager means trying to figure out who you are while school, friendships, family, relationships, social media, expectations, and everyone else’s opinions are coming at you all at once.
Maybe you’re anxious all the time. You’re sad, angry, or overwhelmed and don’t completely know why. School feels impossible. You’re pulling away from people, overthinking everything, or feeling like everyone else knows how to do life better than you do.
You might want everyone to leave you alone and still wish someone would notice that you’re not okay.
There’s no need to have the words for what’s happening before we can start talking about it.
I’m on Your Team
I’ve spent more than two decades working with teenagers, first as a high school counselor and now as a therapist. And one thing I know for sure is that teens can tell pretty quickly when an adult is actually listening and when they’re just waiting to tell you what you should do.
My job isn’t to judge you, lecture you, or make therapy another thing you have to be good at.
We can start with what’s happening in your life: friends, school, family, relationships, something from your past, how you feel about yourself, or the fact that you really didn’t want to come to therapy in the first place.
I’ll listen, ask questions, be honest with you, and help you get curious about what’s underneath what you’re feeling and doing. There’ll be room for serious things, ordinary things, and definitely some humor.
Sometimes, There’s More Going on Underneath
What you’re feeling now can also be connected to things you’ve been through.
Maybe there has been a lot of conflict at home, someone important hasn’t been there for you in the way you needed, or you’ve experienced loss, rejection, bullying, instability, criticism, painful relationships, or things that made it hard to feel safe or trust other people.
Sometimes experiences like these can show up later as anxiety, anger, shutting down, trying to make everyone happy, being really hard on yourself, or feeling like you have to handle everything alone.
You don’t need to know whether something “counts” as trauma. If it affected you, we can talk about it.
Parents, You’re Part of the Team, Too
Watching your teen struggle can be painful and scary. You ask questions, give space, set limits, back off, step in, and wonder whether any of it is helping.
I’ll support you in understanding what’s happening while also protecting the trust and privacy your teen needs to have a relationship with me that’s genuinely their own.
When it’s helpful, we can also work together on communication, conflict, boundaries, and finding ways for you and your teen to reach each other again.
You Don’t Have to Figure Everything Out Right Now
Things can start to feel more manageable. That looks like understanding what’s underneath the anxiety or anger, noticing what you need before everything becomes too much, and feeling more able to handle difficult emotions without shutting down or exploding. You can learn to trust yourself more, speak up for what you need, and feel less controlled by what everyone else thinks.
This work doesn’t ask you to become a different person or have all the answers.
You get to figure out who you are, and you don’t have to do it alone.
Set up a free consultation to see whether working together feels like a good fit.
Let’s meet for a free consultation, and we’ll start from where you are.
- Call(707) 953-0790
- Emailesmith@woodsongtherapy.net
- Office659 Cherry Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404