Counseling for Adolescents

Therapy for Adolescents

Adolescence is a turbulent time of life. Difficulties can arise for the teenager and their parents as powerful drives toward autonomy emerge during this time while impulse control, planning and judgment are still in development. In our work with adolescents, whether on-site or via teletherapy, we deal directly and clearly with issues including, but not limited to, autonomy, dependency, sexuality and self-esteem.

Some of the concerns that we commonly see in adolescents include, but are not limited to:

difficulties coping with anxiety and stress
depression
behavioral difficulties
grief and loss
relationship issues (friends, school, family)
difficulties managing conflict
low self esteem/confidence
self-image issues

Our experienced and caring clinicians understand that each individual has unique needs and we work closely with our clients to find the therapeutic approach that best facilitates their growth and healing. We strive to meet the needs that the adolescent has for support and understanding while helping them to develop insight, self-awareness, and the tools needed to find solutions to the problems facing them.

Adolescence is a turbulent time of life. It is the period of time from the early teens, when puberty begins, to the late teens and early twenties when the brain reaches full development. Adolescence is difficult because powerful drives toward sexuality and autonomy emerge while impulse control, planning, and judgment are still underdeveloped due to the incomplete development of the brain. Adolescents often act out if they feel these drives are being thwarted or become depressed and anxious if they feel themselves failing to meet the new challenges they present.

Treating adolescents is complicated both by their developmental level and by the fact that they are often brought to treatment reluctantly. They often enter treatment assuming that the therapist is just another authority figure who is going to tell them what to do. We address this by respecting their psychosexual impulses and their needs for autonomy, while also clarifying that limits in these areas are not intended to thwart their strivings, but intended to guide them as they seek to meet their needs successfully.

Parents often have difficulty understanding their adolescent children as this frequently reflects the difficulties that adolescents experience in understanding themselves. Often teens are not aware of their own emotional dependence on their parents and, since they frequently rebel against it and vocally deny it, their parents remain unaware of it also. Similarly, teens often have low self-esteem, but are not aware of it, feeling intensely that something is wrong but externalizing the causes and blaming others.

In our work with adolescents we allow them to do a lot of talking, but we also do a lot of talking ourselves. We educate them on these various issues while also promoting a greater degree of insight into their feelings and emotional needs. When oppositional behavior is a problem we join with the adolescent in acknowledging that the underlying desire for autonomy is valid, while also making clear that a defiant rejection of parental limits frequently leads to even more restrictions being placed upon them. Where self-esteem issues are a problem we talk about the issues directly and then correct any negatively distorted views and create problem-solving strategies to remedy any actual deficiencies that may be present. We have found that most adolescents respond very well to this approach.

In our work with parents we promote a parenting style that is neither authoritarian nor democratic, but authoritative. What this means in practice, is that parents retain ultimate authority to override adolescent decisions because they are the parent and they typically exhibit better judgment, but that they also must use this judgment wisely in choosing whether overriding a bad decision is necessary.

Thomas B. Hollenbach, Ph.D.

Summary FAQ's

What is adolescent counseling?

Adolescent counseling provides teens with a safe, supportive environment to talk through emotional, behavioral, and developmental challenges with a licensed therapist.

What issues can adolescent counseling help with?

Counseling can address anxiety, depression, school stress, peer relationships, family conflict, self-esteem, and coping with major life changes.

How involved are parents in adolescent counseling?

Parents are often included for updates and collaboration, but private sessions allow teens to develop trust and independence with their therapist.

How long does adolescent counseling usually last?

The length of therapy depends on each teen’s unique needs, but many benefit from weekly sessions over several months.

Is adolescent counseling available online?

Yes, ITI offers secure teletherapy for adolescents in New Jersey, ensuring access to support from the comfort of home.

Counseling for Adolescents

Therapy for Adolescents

Summary FAQ's

Teletherapy Services