Therapy For Teens
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Is Teenage Life Becoming Too Much To Handle On Your Own?
Are you a teen who is having difficulty navigating this complicated stage of life, and you’re hoping that therapy can offer you some compassionate and impartial support? Do you struggle with…
anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, or anger issues?
poor self-esteem, low self-worth, or negative body image?
low academic performance or fears about what lies ahead?
socialization, making friends, fitting in, or feeling accepted?
Perhaps you’re neurodiverse or living with ADHD and having trouble finding your footing in this sometimes chaotic world. Or maybe you simply need someone to talk to who you can trust to have your back.
For Parents, The Teens Years Can Be Equally Difficult
At times, it can make you feel powerless, watching your child slowly change into a different person who seems disconnected and isolated. Your teen may be:
constantly irritable, moody, emotionally closed off, or holed up in their room.
coping with undiagnosed mental health issues or social media/screen addiction.
dealing with relationship problems or bullying at school or online.
They may lack communication, interpersonal, or problem-solving skills that prevent them from realizing their potential. Or you’re teen could be showing somatic signs of emotional distress, such as panic attacks, binging/purging, self-harm, and even suicidal ideation.
At Healing Voices Psychotherapy, we understand that life as a teenager can be tough. That’s why our therapists strive to help both parents and teens navigate these exciting and often challenging times with grace and ease.
Most Teens Run Into Obstacles Along The Way To Adulthood
If you’re having difficulty finding your way through this stage of life—or you are struggling to help your child—rest assured, you are not alone. According to numerous mental health surveys,
15- to 24-year-olds reported the highest rates of mood and anxiety disorders among any age group.(1)
39 percent of Ontario high school students reported feeling psychologically stressed with an additional 17 percent indicating severe psychological distress (symptoms of depression and anxiety).(2)
28 percent of students and teens feel like they have no one they can talk to during times of need despite school counselling programs and mental health initiatives.(3)
Teens Are Constantly Surrounded By Sources Of Stress
social media; toxic politics and social forces (e.g., anti-LGBTQ ideology)
trauma; emotional, sexual, or physical abuse; bullying, cyber-bullying
terminal illness, obesity, loss of a loved one, exposure to violence
cultural pressures; feelings of inadequacy, anger, and/or loneliness
undiagnosed issues related to anxiety, depression, ADHD, or OCD
All of these forces can greatly impact the well-being and development of a teenager, which is why therapy can be so helpful. It gives young people an ally who can help sort through the noise and confusion, allowing teens to identify and address what’s really going on beneath the symptoms.
Therapy For Teens: A Sanctuary From The Pressures Of The World
Because many young people have nowhere to turn to when they need help, therapy for teens can be an invaluable source of unbiased guidance and support. It gives them the opportunity to be who they are without reservation—to develop insight into themselves, their situation, and what they can do to make improvements and overcome challenges.
Counselling for teens can help boost self-confidence, self-esteem, and their overall mood and outlook on life. Working with a therapist can also help teens cultivate and strengthen vital life skills, such as emotion regulation, effective communication, empathy, assertiveness, interpersonal flexibility, and self-awareness.
Ultimately, we want to help your teenager heal and grow into the person they’re meant to be so they can navigate this world with greater ease, resilience, and self-awareness.
How Does Therapy For Teens Work?
At Healing Voices Psychotherapy, all of our counselling services are conducted online, which makes connecting much easier and more convenient—especially for tech-savvy teens. To get started, we’ll meet with your teen for a free, 15-minute virtual consultation to get their perspective on concerns and goals for therapy. After that, we’ll begin working with them for weekly, 50-minute sessions.
If your teen provides consent or is nervous about the process, we’ll invite you to participate for the first 15 minutes of the initial session. However, it’s imperative that your counsellor spend the remainder of the time working directly with your teen in order to build rapport and formulate the case conceptualization and treatment plan as quickly as possible.
At that point, our therapist will begin exploring the issues that are important to your teen. That could mean increasing their understanding of themselves and others or resolving a specific problem. Or it could mean providing clarity about symptoms and how they may be affecting your teen’s development or well-being.
Then, we can start building a roadmap toward healing, solving problems, and achieving goals.
Some Of The Tools And Strategies We Use In Therapy For Teens
Every teenager represents an entire world of unique experiences and challenges. So we’re always adapting our approach to treatment to match the needs of each client, drawing from numerous therapeutic resources:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT for teens) helps identify and change negative mindsets by looking at the intrinsic link between thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT for teens) involves building and practicing skills for emotional regulation and mood management (i.e., stress, anxiety, depression, anger, OCD).
Gestalt-based strategies help silence the inner critic and provide safety plans for mitigating self-harm.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) works on interpersonal relationships, self-advocacy, communication, and emotional intelligence and literacy.
Counselling also provides strategies for addressing disordered eating and prevention skills for teenage substance abuse, addiction, and relapse.
Adolescence is an important time in life development, which is why therapy for teens can be so beneficial. Whatever you are going through, our counsellors are here to help your teen gain insight into themselves, their symptoms, and how they can systematically work through challenges and reach their goals.
By collaborating with our therapists, your teen can learn, practice, refine, and apply with mastery a broad range of skills and strategies that they can use to live with greater ease and peace of mind.
Perhaps You Are Considering Therapy For Teens But Still Have Some Concerns…
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Many people find the idea of opening up to someone they've just met to be a little anxiety-provoking, which is only natural. For this reason, you can book a free, 15-minute consultation to meet your therapist and discuss your concerns, needs, and goals.
You can get a sense of your therapist as she discusses how she can help you with your specific goals. Our job is to create a safe place where you can open up at your own pace, talking about things that mean the most to you.
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One of the roles of your therapist is to protect your confidentiality and your rights. You can discuss this further with your therapist in your free, 15-minute discovery call.
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Therapy for teenage depression, anxiety, OCD, and disordered eating has helped countless young people improve their lives. However, many teens who benefit from therapy don't actually have diagnosable conditions; they’re just finding life difficult.
Working with a teen therapist can help expedite the process of identifying and navigating challenges so you don’t have to do all the work on your own. Plus, therapy for teens is a preventative measure that offers you a mental health toolkit you can use throughout your life to head off problems before they start.
Our Therapist for Adolescents:
Hello, I'm Dana D'Arville, a Registered Psychotherapist, specializing in adolescent therapy. In today’s world we live in, it's natural for parents to feel concerned about their teenager's well-being. If you've noticed signs of anxiety, depression, OCD, or if your adolescent is navigating learning differences like ADHD, please know that I'm here to provide the guidance and support your family needs.
With over a decade of experience, I understand the significance of equipping teenagers with effective coping strategies and lifelong behavioral skills. I'm not just here for your teenager; I'm also available to support you, the parent, in reinforcing the progress your adolescent is making through counseling. My approach encompasses a variety of therapeutic techniques, including mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), all delivered with a collaborative, person-centered focus.
I'm well aware that taking the first step into therapy can be daunting for adolescents. My role is to create a secure and empathetic counseling space where your teenager can build trust, develop essential skills, and ultimately thrive. Whatever challenges your adolescent may be facing, my goal is to empower them to gain independence and control over their mental and emotional well-being.
Let Us Help Make Life A Little Easier For Everyone
If you’re considering therapy for teens and want to know about our online counselling services, please call 705-715-9107 for your free, 15-minute consultation. You can also click Book Now to schedule your first session.
