Teen Counseling in Northern California and Nevada
The Teen Years Don’t Have To Be So Hard
So you’ve found yourself searching “counseling for my teen,” hoping to find something— anything— that might help.
Maybe things at home have felt harder lately. The arguments, the tears, or the growing distance between you and your teen. Maybe they’re spending more time alone in their room, or conversations that used to feel easy now turn tense or shut down altogether.
And underneath it all, there’s that quiet, constant worry.
You see that something isn’t quite right. Maybe their anxiety feels bigger than they can manage. Maybe their emotions seem overwhelming— for them and for you. You might be noticing changes in school, friendships or the choices they’re making and it’s hard not to wonder what this means for their future.
It’s painful to watch your child struggle and not be able to fix it for them. Most parents reach a point where they realize: I can’t do this alone— and maybe I’m not meant to.
If that’s where you are, you’re not alone. And you’re in the right place.
What Teen Counseling Can Look Like
In our work together, your teen will have a space that’s just theirs— where they can talk openly, make sense of what they’re feeling, and feel genuinely heard without fear of judgement.
As trust builds, something begins to shift. Your teen may start to understand themselves in a new way— becoming more curious about their thoughts and emotions instead of getting stuck in them or overwhelmed by them.
With support, they’ll begin learning practical tools to manage big feelings. Instead of reacting in the heat of the moment, you might notice them starting to pause, reflect and respond more thoughtfully.
Over time, this can show up in small but meaningful ways— handling conflict differently, communicating more effectively, or making choices that feel healthier and more aligned with who they are.
Change doesn’t happen over night, and it’s not always dramatic. But steady, subtle growth adds up— and those shifts can make a real difference in your teen’s life and in your relationship with them.
My Approach
Working with teens using Dialectical Behavior Therapy
What is DBT?
DBT is a type of Cognitive Behavior Therapy that teaches people skills to manage emotions, tolerate stress and improve relationships all while building a life worth living. The core dialectical principal is finding a balance between acceptance while simultaneously working towards making positive change.
How Does it Help My Teen?
With DBT there are 4 main components. The foundation is Mindfulness. Mindfulness allows the opportunity to slow down, to be fully present in the moment without judgement. When you are in a mindful state, you are not anticipating and worrying about the future and you are not dwelling on past emotional pains.
In addition to learning how to be more mindful, teens will learn distress tolerance and emotional regulation skills. With distress tolerance, teens will learn skills that will provide them with the ability to soothe, calm and cope with difficult emotions— especially when they are in the moment of experiencing big feelings and may be headed toward a crisis.
The emotional regulation component’s goal is to provide education and awareness around emotions; how emotions serve a purpose and certain factors make regulating them more difficult.
The 4th component is all about interpersonal effectiveness. These skills emphasize strategies for asking for what one needs, saying no and for managing conflict effectively all while maintaining one’s self respect.
FAQs
In what ways do you work with teens?
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I provide individual sessions using a HIPPA compliant telehealth platform. First is to establish positive rapport and a trusting, therapeutic relationship. Then we decide together, what your teen wants to work towards. We create treatment goals collaboratively. What follows is the work focusing on achieving those goals. I may use stories, videos, music, expressive and creative activities to further explain and emphasize concepts and skills.
How do you handle confidentiality?
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Ideally, our very first session will include a parent or guardian for the first 15 minutes. If we had our consultation call with both teen and parent/guardian, sometimes including the parent/guardian during the first session is not necessary.
During this joint consultation call or first part of the first session, I discuss confidentiality so that everyone is one the same page. Your teen is my client. They hold confidentiality. What is said in our sessions is private information.
There are exceptions. These exceptions include situations where safety is concerned, specifically if they disclose someone is hurting them, they are thinking about hurting themselves or in cases where they disclose intent to hurt someone else.
Frequently, I encourage open communication between teen and parent/guardian. There also may be times where I ask your teen for consent to communicate with you directly, either by email, phone call or carving out time during the session for a check in.
How long will counseling for my teen last?
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The short answer: it depends. Typically session length can be from 30-60 minutes. This depends on their schedule, their needs and their ability to stay engaged in session.
Duration of therapy treatment is determined based on the needs of your teen. Sometimes it is brief, lasting 6-12 sessions and if we believe goals are achieved. Sometimes it is longer as new concerns may emerge and new goals are created.
What makes you different?
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First, my passion for supporting our teens is unwavering. My background in education, serving as a school counselor and mental health specialist in elementary, middle and high schools including continuation high schools, has given me the opportunity to hone my craft. I was able to develop trusting relationships with my students, teach hundreds of classroom guidance lessons, facilitate numerous groups on coping skills, healthy relationships, conflict resolution, etc.
I also provided counseling to teens in an adolescent residential treatment program during the height of the COVID pandemic. The residential program was a DBT treatment program for teens experiencing severe mental health concerns and who were in and out of crisis.
Lastly, my own lived experience as a young person going through middle and high school with anxiety and depression has made me devote my professional life to supporting our young population.