Licensed Adolescent Therapist in Winnetka
During a time of rapid growth, change and desire for independence it can be challenging to know if a teen is struggling with “normal teen stress” or a more significant mental health problem or disorder. We can sort this out together in just a few sessions.
I treat teens and young adults with the following challenges:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Perfectionism
- Coping with parent divorce
- Attention difficulties (ADD/ADHD)
- Understanding adoption
- Family circumstances causing him or her to feel different from peers
- Parent/child conflict
- Trouble making and keeping friends
- Changes in body image and self esteem
- Pressure to succeed in school or sports
- Pressure to be accepted by peers
- Desire to develop a separate identity and life from her parents
The combination of these factors can make for an especially stressful time for an adolescent and their family. Some teens like therapy to be a safe place where they can talk about anything and everything that is on their mind. Others prefer the structure of CBT or DBT treatment. With this we focus on specific coping strategies and set concrete symptom improving goals. Either or both strategies can be part of a teen’s treatment plan.
What happens during a teen therapy session
Some teens like to spend the whole session talking openly about whatever is on their mind in a private safe setting. They leave feeling heard and with less weight on their shoulders. Other adolescents prefer the structure of CBT or DBT treatment. In these sessions I teach specific coping strategies and we set concrete, symptom improving goals. Either or both strategies can be part of a teen’s treatment plan
