In recent years, especially post-pandemic, adolescents have been struggling, and for good reason, their future could seem bleak to them. They are growing in a world far different than their parents. The rates of mental health issues for adolescents has never been higher. Even the healthiest teens need support. Adolescents often find it difficult to verbalize their feelings. They may be overwhelmed and even confused by the onslaught of complex feelings that come as they move out of childhood toward adulthood. For many teens, conflicts may involve differences between family members, issues over expectations of parents, peer relations, or finding their place in an uncertain world. Not surprisingly, the idea of seeing a stranger doesn’t immediately appear appealing to teens. That’s where an experienced professional counselor can help.

I’ve worked with young people for over thirty years. I take a of loving and nurturing approach to young teens and adolescents. As a parent of three, I know how dark things can seem before they get better. In therapy, I’ve worked with teens viewed as depressed or self-destructive or aggressive. I work to connect with the child within that (unlike an adult) can’t say, or perhaps doesn’t know what’s eating them. I understand that’s a lonely, scary experience for them.

I use a performance approach that allows young people to use their personal strengths, things they are good at, to grow. The performance approach allows young people to use their therapy sessions in a creative, positive manner. I help then discover/create how to use the activities they do enjoy to stretch their repertoire of emotions and social skills to grow, mature, and face challenges.

I received my graduate training as an adolescent therapist. I was a clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School at Children’s Hospital in Boston, as well as in schools dedicated to youths with serious emotional difficulties. As a co-founder and board member of the AllStars Project, I helped create a variety of programs promoting youth development. My decades of experience working with hundreds of adolescents has taught me that a therapist must tailor her or his approach to every individual. If your teen needs supports, I may be able to help. Please give a call.