Therapy for Teen Women
Jada* worries… A LOT.
She worries about things that could happen in the future… but also things in the present: friends, home, and school.
She feels as though her brain is always on, desperately hoping for answers so she can relax.
But she finds that even when those answers come there is little relief. There are always plenty more worries waiting for her as soon as one clears away.
Stacy* feels SO SAD sometimes.
It feels as if the earth were concrete around her ankles. There are big things in her head, things that overwhelm her. She hasn’t been able to talk about them, because they’re such a mess she doesn’t think she could begin to explain.
Her bed seems so comforting, yet it also feels like quicksand.
Sometimes, she is so overwhelmed and without answers that she finds herself thinking it’d be easier to just end it. She doesn’t want to do that, though, so she recently tried something else for relief: cutting. It helped her find some release at the moment, but the sadness just keeps creeping back in. Her parents have no idea.
Bella* hates looking in the mirror.
Even though she finds herself doing it often. She is tired of comparing herself to other girls at school, wishing she had what they have.
The pressure – from social media, from parents, from society… just trying to keep up with it is so draining.
She wants to be herself – whatever that means.
Becky* often finds her heart racing.
Talking to strangers, new situations… it’s triggered by all sorts of things. For a while, she found it was easier to just avoid these things. Except it started to get annoying.
Her parents kept riding her back, which just made things worse.
They don’t get it!
They can’t fix it. She can’t talk to her parents. And her friends want to be helpful, but they don’t know how.
Talking in therapy isn’t the same…
… as talking with friends, family, or someone at school.
I get to listen free of judgment because this is 100% about you! I can listen neutrally, never pushing you one way or the other. My role is to help you sort it out.
Sometimes life’s issues can’t be changed. I can teach you ways to handle these things. Sometimes, the issues can be helped, but you’re just not sure how to work it out. And you don’t want to go to your parents.
You can trust me – I follow very strict rules about confidentiality.
You can offload your darkest thoughts or most troublesome worries… and I won’t be shocked (I’ve been doing this a while – I’ve sat with girls as young as 6 and those into their 60s who have deeply difficult stories. (Yes, even at 6.)
In therapy, you’re the “captain.”
You are in control of what we talk about, how fast or how slow.
I’ll be a compassionate guide to figuring out what’s in the way and a helper to get you through it or around it. I’ll get to know you a little, find out what’s most important to you, what makes you happy or sad.
You don’t have to know what to say; I’ll guide the conversation if you need me to. Or, you can have the floor 100%! You can kick off your shoes and curl up on the couch if you want to, keep your hands busy with my fidget toys, or we can talk while we play cards. Feeling safe and comfortable comes first.
Ultimately, it is my goal that you will leave my office feeling lighter, happier, and prepared for what life is throwing at you in any given moment.
A Note for Parents
Yes, you were a teenager once, so it seems it should be easier to connect with your daughter.
Yes, we did struggle with many of the same things that our teens battle today, except… in today’s world, everything is amplified by the constant stream of information (and misinformation) hurling at them 24 hours a day.
It’s difficult to get a break. It’s hard to find somewhere safe.
Yes, I have a teenage daughter myself; I’m right here in the thick of it with you. I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s in education, and a master’s in therapy… and it’s still hard. I get it!
Much of what your teenager struggles with is quite normal.
Sometimes it’s not.
It’s not easy for a parent to differentiate. For example, it is quite normal to worry about the future… “What if I fail?” or “What if I embarrass myself?”
Worry can be helpful, leading us to seek answers and problem solve! But worry can become a problem for your teenager when it is frequent, when it’s about a broad range of issues, and when it becomes difficult to control or dismiss.
It’s perfectly normal for your daughter to want or need a little help from someone that’s not you – it is not a failure on your part at all!
Your teenager is, quite normally, trying to make sense of the world apart from you. So, right now it may be difficult to come to you to figure out some of those things. Teens will often go to their peers first. This can be a blessing. But with bigger struggles of strong emotions, most teens aren’t equipped to help their friends properly.
Other teens will try and “figure it out themselves” and suffer silently. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
This is where therapy comes in.
Reaching out for help can be intimidating…
Will I like the therapist? What can she do that others couldn’t? Will this end as a waste of time?
The most important thing about therapy is that we connect. To increase our chances of success and respect for your time and money, I am happy to talk to either you or your daughter on the phone for a free 20-minute consultation before we make our first appointment.
There are never any strings attached! If we click, you can make an appointment. If we don’t, I totally understand. All you’re ever committing to is 50 minutes, and we’ll go from there at your direction!
Call today and let’s chat so you can decide if you’d like to work with me.
Remember, it’s all about you! Give me a call today: (904) 469-0060
*Names changed to preserve client confidentiality.