Adolescents experience significant social and academic stressors in today's world. Navigating the changing physical and emotional environment can be challenging and place tremendous strain on established parent-child relationships.
Many families describe a push-pull dynamic that exists as teens seek increased independence. Although the desire for autonomy is developmentally appropriate, it can be both exciting and confusing for all members of the family system.
I have substantial experience helping adolescents and families work through a broad spectrum of issues, which I have summarized below.
Areas of Specialization:
- Anxiety
- Stress management
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) strategies & support
- School-related issues
- Peer relationships and dating
- Self-perception issues
- Transitions
- Depression
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Grief / loss
- Parent-child conflict
- Autism Spectrum Disorders / Asperger’s Syndrome
- Adoption
- LGBT identity support
Psychotherapy can help adolescents...
- Learn more effective ways of communicating their wants and needs
- Increase frustration tolerance
- Have a more positive experience at school
- Enhance social skills
- Increase problem-solving and decision-making abilities
- Improve relationships with parents and other family members
- Develop resiliency skills and increase abilty to cope
- Establish and work toward realistic goals
- Deal with disappointment or loss
- Navigate more effectively through difficult friendship issues
- Manage peer pressure
- Learn how to make positive choices
- Develop confidence and healthy self-perception