Therapy for Adolescents | Elle Michel Psychotherapy

How is therapy for adolescents different?

Therapy for adolescents is different from therapy for adults in that at times therapy for adolescents includes the parents or caregivers of those adolescents, in order to enlist the support of the caregivers in helping the adolescents make changes in their lives. Adolescents have less control over their lives and their environments than adults do, so involving parents can be beneficial in helping teens heal from depression, anxiety, and trauma. I meet with most teenagers once a week and update their parents about once every 2-4 weeks. At times I will meet with a teenager and their parents to work specifically on conflict resolution skills or problem solving.

Types of therapy
Justlike adults, teens can benefit from EMDR, Brainspotting, and DBT therapy.

Special considerations in therapy for adolescents

When working with adolescents I make sure to stay in touch with not only the teen’s parents but also their school counselor or teachers and any other providers that may be working with them, such as a psychiatrist or dietitian. It is important to work together to provide the best care for the individual in therapy and to coordinate treatment.

Individuation

Individuation is the process all teenagers go through during adolescence to begin to form identities independent of their families. This natural separation process begins in early adolescence and is usually complete by early adulthood. It is during this time that an adolescent begins to form their own identity and begins to explore what it’s like to be an individual apart from their family.

Working with individuation

This process can be tricky as teens begin to experiment with different styles of clothing, hair styles, and ways of speaking, and can sometimes create conflict in families. Therapy is often used to support teens as they go through this individuation process.

Specializations in therapy

Many of my clients come to me to work on depression, borderline personality disorder, anxiety, or trauma, because I have specialized training in treating these issues.

I encourage my clients to schedule phone consultations with two or three therapists to get a chance to talk to different people and see whom they connect with. If for any reason after a session or two you feel that we’re not the right match, then I will help you choose another therapist who may be a better match for you.

What to expect

If you’re interested in therapy, the best place to start is to call me for a free 30-minute phone consultation. Talking on the phone will give me a better idea of what you’re wanting to work on and will help me learn more about how I may be able to help you. After our phone call, you may choose to schedule an appointment.

Beginning therapy

The first two or three of our appointments will most likely focus on us getting to know each other and me getting to know your history. Because the past can affect us in so many ways, I will spend time taking a detailed history and asking lots of questions about experiences you’ve been through in the past. I will also take the time to get to know what changes you would like to see in your life.

Treating you

Once I’ve gotten a good idea of your history and what changes you would like to make, I will come up with a treatment plan for you and will explain to you what, in my view, are the best ways for you to achieve the changes you want to make, using a variety of therapeutic interventions. At that point, the real work of therapy begins. I meet with most of my clients once a week at first and will spend the session working on the goals we have come up with in the beginning, while checking to see what progress you have made week to week.