JUST FOR TEENS

Therapy is a safe time and place to talk about everything that is affecting your life. It is a great opportunity to talk about times when you feel embarrassed, ashamed, angry, depressed, anxious or fearful. Therapy helps people feel more connected to themselves and others. 

There is no judgment.  There is no shaming you for what you think and feel.  There is no agenda.  This is all about you and directed by you.  There is only empathy and compassion; and I believe that is  exactly what is needed to heal.

Therapy sessions are about an hour long and are guided by you.  I will have some feedback for you from time to time.  While I'm not there to give advice, I can help you discover truths about yourself that maybe you were never aware of.  

I have a lot of experience helping teenagers with school issues like grades and improving interactions with teachers, classmates, and friends. I love helping teens and their families understand each other better and learn how to better handle conflict with everyone in their lives. I can also help teens learn how to express themselves in a healthier, more effective way. 

Your confidentiality is incredibly important to me.  If you don't trust me, therapy will never work...and I WANT it to work for you.  Since my goal is to help improve your mental health and the factors that play a role in it, having your parents involved may be important.  If I think they would benefit from knowing what we talk about, you and I will work together to be able to let them know 

There are times that I am legally required to report what we have talked about. Those instances include the following:

1. I believe you are at immediate risk of harming yourself 
2. I believe you are at immediate risk of harming someone else
3. I suspect that you are being abused or have been abused in the past. This includes sexual abuse, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse and neglect of any kind
4. I am ordered by a judge to release information to the court
5. If you or your parents would like for me to consult with other providers (i.e. primary care doctors, school officials, etc.) regarding your treatment

***I may have to disclose what you talk about with law enforcement officials or Child Protective Services. If I must disclose what you say, I will try to work with you to understand why and what might happen.*** 

1. Protect and maintain your confidentiality whenever possible
2. Help you identify your thoughts and feelings and learn how to talk about them
3. Help you involve your parents/guardians in the therapeutic process as needed
4. Remain respectful and non-judgmental of your beliefs, thoughts, and feelings

What if there is something that I think your parents need to know that you’re afraid to talk to them about? You and I can talk about that and figure out what to do and how to handle it. Maybe I can help you find the words, maybe you and I can talk with them together, maybe we develop another better plan. My hope is that we can figure things out together.

Which include a willingness to:

1. Be open to trusting me, and when you don’t trust me, talk to me about that feeling you’re having
2. Talk honestly and openly about your thoughts, feelings and actions
3. Consider including family members in your sessions as needed and as appropriate
4. Have an open mind about looking at other perspectives
5. Do what you say you are going to do. Show up for your appointments. Also, there may be times when a “homework assignment” might be helpful. You do not have to agree to do the assignment, but if you do, please make sure you do it