Approaches Used

Growing up is full of change. For pre-teens and teens, emotions can feel intense, friendships get more complicated, and the pressure to keep it all together can be overwhelming. Sometimes they shut down or act out—not because they want to, but because they’re unsure how to express what’s really going on. Therapy offers a safe, supportive space where they can be fully themselves without judgment, while making sense of their thoughts and feelings.

Through my experience as a middle school therapist, I learned that the therapeutic relationship provided the strongest impact for the adolescent’s progress in therapy. For a teen to show up and share their most vulnerable self, they need to feel genuinely seen and accepted. That kind of trust doesn’t come easily, and I don’t take it lightly. I work hard to create a space where teens feel safe to be their full selves—emotional, creative, funny, confused, thoughtful, and everything in betweenWhen we take care of the emotional needs of pre-teens and teens, positive behavioral changes often follow. We’ll work together to understand your child’s unique needs and support their growth, with you as an essential part of the team.

Adolescence is a time of huge internal shifts. Many teens are caught between who they used to be and who they’re becoming, often unsure where they fit or how to express what’s going on inside. I meet them in that in-between space, using their strengths, interests, and creativity as tools for self-discovery. Whether they’re navigating anxiety, identity, low self-esteem, social pressures, or trauma, I draw from approaches like Internal Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and art-based interventions to support growth. For teens facing trauma, I integrate elements of Cognitive Processing Therapy and adapt IFS for their developmental stage. When self-harm or emotion dysregulation is the primary concern, I lean on structured Dialectical Behavior Therapy to build coping tools like mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills. For teens managing specific fears or phobias, I incorporate Exposure Response Prevention and CBT, and for those struggling with body-focused repetitive behaviors like trichotillomania or skin-picking, I bring a focused, compassionate lens along with a specialized form of CBT called Habit Reversal training to help reduce shame and regain control.

No matter what brings a teen into therapy, my first goal is always the same: to offer a space where they can feel accepted just as they are, while gently supporting who they are becoming.

Specialties for Adolescents

• low self-esteem

• social phobia

• self-harm

• trauma

• generalized anxiety

• exploring identity

• 2LGBTQ+ affirming

• body-based repetitive behaviors

• bullying and other peer conflicts