For Teens

“LIFE IS WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU WHILE YOU ARE BUSY MAKING OTHER PLANS”

John Lennon

So what does this really mean for you? Especially now, it means that while you are managing school, and trying to figure out how to have a normal life during a pandemic, you have found yourself having a hard time. Maybe you know the reason; maybe you don’t. Perhaps you feel nervous, sad, confused, insecure, and/or unsure of who you are and what you will become. If you’ve tried to talk about any of these things, you believe that your parents may be trying to understand, but they may not get it or perhaps they don’t understand at all. And, maybe, you are seeing them much more than feels right to you because of the pandemic. Perhaps you’ve tried to talk to your friends about what is on your mind, but they have their own stuff to deal with and you know they can only listen for a limited amount of time. Plus, you can’t be sure that things you say remain confidential, and before you know it, you worry that your life is all over some social media site. Then you feel even worse because it is out of your control. And, to top it off, life is hard enough without a pandemic!

While I have the title of “doctor”, I do not view the teens and young adults I work with as patients. They are clients who are fellow human beings trying to figure out how to improve their lives, how to make better/smarter decisions and how to get through each day successfully. My approach to working with any individual is to develop a working relationship with you and to let you get to the point where you feel comfortable with me. When that happens, we can work together, safely and confidentially, to help you figure out whatever it is that will help you cope in a better way. By safely, I mean you are in a personal conversation where no one is listening or passing judgment. By confidentially, I mean that it is against the law for me to discuss what you tell me with anyone except in the cases stated below. Our discussions are for you and you alone to process and learn from.

What about parents? Of course, parents (or legal guardians) want to know what you’re doing in your therapy sessions. They care about you and, chances are, they are paying for your therapy, but the boundaries and rules of the therapeutic relationship must be established early between you, your parents and myself. Additionally, unless I think you are in danger of hurting yourself or someone else or I believe someone is hurting you, I will not discuss your therapy with parents or legal guardians without your knowledge and, if 18 or over, your permission. The key to progress is for you and your parents or guardians to know that we are working together and for you to feel that therapy is for you to make meaningful discoveries about yourself now and into your future.