Adolescent Counseling

I consider individual counseling an ‘act of public health.’ Perhaps this is most true when working with children and adolescents. The support that adolescents need is immense, and when they get what they need, the positive effects reverberate throughout their lives and touch so many others.

Puberty triggers psychological distancing from parents. Parents often respect this change and give their adolescents more freedom to think and decide for themselves. Gradually adolescents solve problems more effectively and take on more responsibility.

There are many types of stresses and/or events that can interfere with this normal cycle of development. An overwhelming presence of social media, increased academic pressures, and a higher prevalence of learning disabilities and attention disorders create higher levels of stress on adolescents today. Loss of a loved one, parental conflict or divorce, and explorations of sexual and gender identity can all add a sense of debilitating loneliness. It is vital that adolescents are provided with the extra support they need to continue the healthy cycle of growth and development.

My focus in adolescent counseling is to foster healthy autonomy and healthy interdependence. Counseling sessions focus on identifying struggles, finding healthy coping strategies, processing thoughts and behaviors that are troubling, increasing social skills with peers and adults, introducing mindfulness practice, improving communication skills, and working on conflict resolution skills.

Other considerations:

1.   Age group that I work with is typically 13 years old to 17 years old.

2.   Consistency and continuity are important with this age group. I prefer to meet weekly with my adolescent clients.

3.   I find it very helpful if at least one parent/caregiver meets with me before the first adolescent counseling session and then periodically through the counseling relationship. These sessions take place with the consent of the adolescent.

4.   As with adult counseling, client confidentiality is important to me and is vital to the process of building trust. As you can imagine, building trust with this age group is an up-hill battle. I really value the involvement of at least one parent/caretaker throughout the process, but I take extra care to respect the adolescent’s wishes to the extent possible. We will have discussions about how to strike this fine balance. Every family is unique and has its own set of cultural considerations. Rules around familial involvement in the counseling process will be determined through our discussions.