Therapy |
Online Therapy For Teens in the Bay Area and Los Angeles
Adolescence is a difficult time for parents and teens alike. There’s tension between teens’ desire for autonomy and independence, need for support and guidance, and parents’ concern for their wellbeing and safety. This tension can lead to conflict, withdrawal, confusion, anger, and desperation for something to change for both you and your child.
We’re in the midst of a teen mental health crisis brought on by the isolation of the pandemic, rising rates of anxiety and depression due to social and academic pressure, constant inundation of information on social media, bullying, and relentless media attention given to gun violence, climate change, and youth suicides that creates emotional contagion and dysregulation.
A good teen therapist can help support your teen through this difficult developmental phase and demystify this stage for you so it doesn’t feel fraught with fear or frustration.
We’re in the midst of a teen mental health crisis brought on by the isolation of the pandemic, rising rates of anxiety and depression due to social and academic pressure, constant inundation of information on social media, bullying, and relentless media attention given to gun violence, climate change, and youth suicides that creates emotional contagion and dysregulation.
A good teen therapist can help support your teen through this difficult developmental phase and demystify this stage for you so it doesn’t feel fraught with fear or frustration.
Therapy is one of the greatest gifts you can give your teen.
The counseling and guidance and space to learn critical coping skills, build confidence, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness before your teen develops ingrained, unhealthy, and destructive coping habits can change the rest of their life in a monumental way.
The counseling and guidance and space to learn critical coping skills, build confidence, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness before your teen develops ingrained, unhealthy, and destructive coping habits can change the rest of their life in a monumental way.
Hadley Davis, LMFT 
Coriann Papazian, LMFT |
Our teen counselors have many years of experience working in high-stakes environments, counseling children and teens whose families are at risk of separation due to significant, chronic safety concerns. While this isn’t likely the case for you and your teen, you can take comfort in knowing our therapists have seen it all and aren’t afraid to get in and do the hard and messy work with your child.
We also have experience providing therapy for trans and nonbinary teens and helping support parents with that particular path of identity development and transition. It can be difficult and heartbreaking to let go of your ideas about who your child is and will be, which can create conflict with your teen who feels you are dismissing their newfound identity. You may wonder if it’s a phase or fear for their safety. We can guide both of you through those feelings and questions and help you feel reconnected with your unique and self-assured teen. |
How does confidentiality work with adolescent therapy?
Quite simply, most things your teen talks about in therapy will be kept private and confidential – even from you – unless your teen’s therapist believes there is significant and imminent risk to their health and safety or the health and safety of others. We realize this may be uncomfortable for some parents. The reason we are conservative with what we share with parents is because we know your teen is unlikely to truly open up and talk about what’s happening if they think their therapist is a conduit back to you. We know it’s hard to hear so little when you used to know everything about them when they were small. The heartbreak of parenting a teen is real!
The good news is that sometimes teens DO want things from therapy to be shared, and we work with them to help make that sharing as easy and smooth as possible. Other disclosures can and will be made with your teen’s permission and at the discretion of your child’s therapist.
The good news is that sometimes teens DO want things from therapy to be shared, and we work with them to help make that sharing as easy and smooth as possible. Other disclosures can and will be made with your teen’s permission and at the discretion of your child’s therapist.
How can I know if therapy is helping my teen?
Ask your teen! Research consistently demonstrates that therapy is effective when a client feels a good connection with their therapist.
How long does therapy take?
Boy, do we wish we had a concrete and reliable answer to this question. Sometimes therapy is brief and specific, and sometimes therapy takes a while. The reality is that we can’t predict how long therapy will take because your child doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and various social and environmental influences on their mental health may cause disruption we can’t predict.
Does online therapy really work for teens?
Absolutely! While it can be helpful if your teen is able to converse relatively well (at least with their friends and people outside your household), our therapists are experienced and have techniques to help draw shy and anxious teens out of their shells and build confidence and social skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives.
Here's what we ask from parents to support your teen's therapy:
- Willingness to have regular 15 minute consultation calls with your teenager's therapist
- Willingness and ability to have one or more paid individual collateral sessions per month with your teenager's therapist to explore your concerns, parenting questions, and how to best support your teen
- Willingness to participate in conjoint sessions with your teen if your teen's therapist believes it would be helpful and your teen agrees to it
Parenting is hard. Finding a great therapist for your teenager shouldn't be.
Working with us is easy!
Step 1:
Working with us is easy!
Step 1:
We'll talk to you for 15-20 minutes and get a sense of what's going on with your teen and how we can help.
Step 2:
Free 10 minute chat with the therapist we think is the best match for you to see if it feels like a good fit.
Step 3:
Schedule a first trial session.
Step 2:
Free 10 minute chat with the therapist we think is the best match for you to see if it feels like a good fit.
Step 3:
Schedule a first trial session.
Header image by Helena Lopes
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Laurel Therapy Collective
415 504-2895
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