Individual Therapy for Teens 16+

Life’s a mess.

Life is stressful for many reasons when you’re a teen (16-19). Most adults in your life don’t seem to understand the pressures you’re under to be a certain way. You must be cool, funny (but not like a comedian), likable, and smart (but not too smart).

Most of all, you must be pretty, or others must find you attractive. But what does attractive mean today, and who has dibs on who is or isn’t? Does it come from what some post says online, your friends, classmates, or the media?

These days, it seems like the message comes from everywhere and everyone. The pressure starts to weigh on you, and it takes you longer to get ready in the mornings. You spend extra time checking out your appearance in the mirror to ensure you look just right.

But there’s still some emptiness because you aren’t 100% confident in who you are.

The pressure is too much to deal with alone.

If you saw the infamous scene in last season’s show Euphoria, where Cassie wakes up at 4 am to go through her extensive beauty routine, you know what I mean. You didn’t flinch when you saw that look of fiery determination in her eyes as she went through each step to ensure that people received her well at school. She put in all those hours of work for a two-second glance by one guy. If that scene reminded you of YOU, it’s time to do some self-reflection work.

On top of this, the need to be attractive, cool, funny, and smart isn’t even half of it. There’s still so much more in your life that creates stress. Some of these stressors include pressure to achieve perfect grades so you can get into the best schools, or maybe you haven’t decided what it is you want to do after graduating.

This pressure can come from your family and lead to negative self-talk and self-doubt. Your confidence shrinks, and now, you’re second-guessing every decision you make. There’s pressure and stress about dating and changes with friends.

All these things are important during this time in your life, and you need to talk about them with someone you trust.

Therapy can help you feel confident about yourself and so much more.

Asking for help with this kind of stuff can be challenging. There’s so much you want to share, but you don’t want your parents to know how difficult life can be for you.

As your therapist, I keep our sessions confidential. By law, the only things I must share are if you are in danger or engaging in dangerous types of activities. We can discuss any questions you might have about confidentiality more in session so that you feel comfortable and safe sharing with me. I will also discuss this more with your parents. They are most likely bringing you to therapy and paying for services.

I will work with you to develop more confidence skills and release all the pressure and anxiety you feel. We will explore where the stress comes from and help you change how you talk about yourself.

My role is to listen with a nonjudgmental ear and use mindfulness techniques to help you feel more joy and confidence about your life. Together, we will create a safe space for you to share whatever’s on your mind. Sharing will help you discover the best version of yourself without the pressure to be perfect.

Feeling down and burned out as a teen is not the right move?

You don’t need to go through the tough parts of life alone.

Let’s talk about what makes you feel sad, angry, or not special enough in your world.

Take the first step and call me at (510) 383-6071. I am in your corner.