Child and Teen Therapy

Building Confidence in our Kids

Many children have problems that affect how they feel, act or learn.  Therapy is a way to empower your child to work through these issues.  Our therapists are trained to help with a variety of childhood issues. For example, they help children and teens going through tough times like: family problems, school problems, bullying, health problems.  They help with feelings like:  sadness, anger, stress and worry, low self-esteem, grief and social skills.  They help children with conditions like: ADHD, depression, anxiety, self-injury, disruptive behavior disorders and trauma related disorders.  In addition to helping the child, we work with the parents through parent training/coaching to give tips and ideas for how to help their child at home.  

Connecting with Teens

The teen years are all about self-discovery. Adolescents become more independent and begin to form new identities alongside their peers and friends, engaging in new and often experimental behaviors. Additionally, physical, hormonal, and emotional changes may bring about new transitions and experiences for teens and their families. These life-stage changes and transitions may lead to difficulties at school or home, experiences of anxiety and depression, or strained parent-child relationships. Behaviors and emotions may become stuck, heightened, or problematic.  Teens are facing enormous stressors and learning how to deal with them for the first time.  Some of the concerns we see for teens today are:

• Parents and teachers frequently placing high expectations on kids today, leading to heightened anxiety levels.

• Peer pressure is constant and incredibly impactful. Teens often feel a strong urge to conform and gain acceptance in order to feel like they belong.

• Social media provides a platform for anonymous critics and bullies to target their vulnerabilities.

• Ads and programming on radio, TV, social media and print clearly lay out the ideal way to look, walk, talk and live, which creates unrealistic standards for them to live up to.

• Family issues like divorce, illness, and arguments can make them feel confused, angry, and unsure about trusting others.

• Teens feel pressured to join in with drinking, drugs, and sex because it's seen as normal. They hear stories of peers who have dealt with substance abuse, sexual assault, risky behaviors, pregnancy, and the emotional struggles that can come with depression, eating disorders, addiction, and thoughts of suicide.

Therapy may offer a safe environment for you teen and your family to express thoughts, emotions, concerns, and needs to develop effective coping and communication strategies to move through life’s difficulties together and individually with healing and growth.  Thrive offers counseling targeted at supporting you in providing the best scaffolding for your teen to face their struggles grounded in safety and positive self-worth. We provide:

• Individual Therapy: Individual therapy provides a safe, confidential space for your teen to talk about anything. This gives your teen the time and attention where he or she can explore their life, find healthier coping skills, and learn new tools for thriving.

• Group Therapy: Research has shown that teen group therapy is a very powerful tool for inspiring change in clients. We all know the impact that peers have on teens. In group therapy, that impact is a positive one, reducing stigma and isolation, and empowering lasting, beneficial change.