for Parents of Teens

Have you been concerned about your child?  Has it felt like there was a sudden change in her mood and/or behaviour?
Do you feel like he is shutting you out?
Do you get calls from her school about missed homework, or disruptive behaviour?
Do you find that your fights with your teen are increasing? Or that he is distancing from you and the family?
Do you want your teen to get support?  To be able to talk to someone?

I can work with your teen, with the goal of working towards positive change.

I WORK WITH TEENS TO OVERCOME THE FOLLOWING CHALLENGES:

• Depression
• Stress and Anxiety
• Managing Emotions
• Self Esteem/Self Acceptance
• Self Confidence/ Assertiveness

• Dealing with bullies/teasing
  
• Relationships (Family, friends, teachers, dating)
  
• Communication
  
• Low motivation/ procrastination
  

...and many more.

In a safe and collaborative space, I will work with your teen to:

• Ensure they feel safe, heard, understood and supported
• Understand the underlying meaning of their difficult feelings
• Recognize and embrace their strengths
• Find and use their voice
• Learn how to more effectively communicate and strengthen their relationships with others
• Develop healthy coping skills and effective solutions to their situation
• Make healthy, positive changes in their life that is right for them

"At some point we DECIDE
that
FEAR either says
be scared of loss
or be ready yourself for growth."

- Brendon Burchard

How It Works

If you are considering counselling as an option for your teen, it is recommended to talk to your teen first.  From there, you two can decide who would make the first call. 

Whether you or your teen calls, I will talk to the caller about their understanding of the situation, and what they are looking for from counselling.

After this first telephone conversation, we will set up an in person session.  If your teen is okay with it, you will be invited to the first portion of the session, so that the conditions of confidentiality and process of counselling can be discussed with everyone that is involved. 

The rest of the session will be focused on your teen, where they will discuss their situation and issues that brought them to counselling, and also define their goals.

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass

It's about learning to dance in the rain"

- Vivian Greene

What if my teen does not want counselling?

Under legislation, generally individuals 12 years of age and above, who are deemed capable, can agree or disagree to attend counselling.  Thus, your child does not have to attend counselling if he or she does not want to.

However, you may choose to access counselling, to figure out how to help and support your teen.  Your goals, among others, may be to learn effective communication skills, new parenting strategies, or how to help your teen make positive choices.

Expectations of Counselling

I understand the difficulty and the tough decision to bring your teen for counselling.  You may have a desire to know if the counselling process has been helping your teen, and you may want to check in.  I will discuss your request with your teen first.  If it is okay with him or her, I will share with you general themes, progress and challenges of counselling.

Please know that counselling is a process.  Therefore, it can be difficult to determine the length of sessions that can be helpful for your teen.