Teen Therapy
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” -E.E. Cummings
Connecting with Teens
The teen years are all about self-discovery. Adolescents become more independent and begin to form new identities alongside their peers and friends, engaging in new and often experimental behaviors. Additionally, physical, hormonal, and emotional changes may bring about new transitions and experiences for teens and their families. These life-stage changes and transitions may lead to difficulties at school or home, experiences of anxiety and depression, or strained parent-child relationships. Behaviors and emotions may become stuck, heightened, or problematic. Teens are facing enormous stressors and learning how to deal with them for the first time. Some of the concerns we see for teens today are:
Parents and teachers frequently placing high expectations on kids today, leading to heightened anxiety levels.
Peer pressure is constant and incredibly impactful. Teens often feel a strong urge to conform and gain acceptance in order to feel like they belong.
Social media provides a platform for anonymous critics and bullies to target their vulnerabilities.
Ads and programming on radio, TV, social media and print clearly lay out the ideal way to look, walk, talk and live, which creates unrealistic standards for them to live up to.
Family issues like divorce, illness, and arguments can make them feel confused, angry, and unsure about trusting others.
Teens feel pressured to join in with drinking, drugs, and sex because it's seen as normal. They hear stories of peers who have dealt with substance abuse, sexual assault, risky behaviors, pregnancy, and the emotional struggles that can come with depression, eating disorders, addiction, and thoughts of suicide.
Therapy may offer a safe environment for you teen and your family to express thoughts, emotions, concerns, and needs to develop effective coping and communication strategies to move through life’s difficulties together and individually with healing and growth. Thrive offers counseling targeted at supporting you in providing the best scaffolding for your teen to face their struggles grounded in safety and positive self-worth.
We provide:
Individual Therapy: Individual therapy provides a safe, confidential space for your teen to talk about anything. This gives your teen the time and attention where he or she can explore their life, find healthier coping skills, and learn new tools for thriving.
Group Therapy: Research has shown that teen group therapy is a very powerful tool for inspiring change in clients. We all know the impact that peers have on teens. In group therapy, that impact is a positive one, reducing stigma and isolation, and empowering lasting, beneficial change.
Evidence-Based Practices for Women
-
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is a powerful method for processing trauma and reducing the emotional intensity of past experiences. Our trained therapists use EMDR to help you feel more in control and less triggered by difficult memories. Learn more. -
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is an evidence-based approach to healing emotional wounds by exploring the different “parts” within you—such as the inner critic, the people-pleaser, or the part that holds trauma or anxiety. At Thrive Counseling for Healing and Connection, our therapists use IFS to help you develop self-awareness, reduce inner conflict, and reconnect with your core Self—the calm, compassionate inner leader we all have. IFS therapy can be especially helpful for individuals struggling with anxiety, trauma, low self-worth, or relationship patterns rooted in past experiences.
-
Trauma-Focused CBT is an evidence-based therapy designed to help children, teens, and young adults heal from traumatic experiences. At Thrive Counseling for Healing and Connection, we use TF-CBT to gently guide clients in understanding how trauma has impacted their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Through a structured and supportive process, clients learn to reduce trauma-related symptoms such as anxiety, nightmares, and emotional reactivity. This approach combines cognitive restructuring, emotional regulation skills, and safe trauma processing to promote long-term healing and resilience.
-
At Thrive Counseling for Healing and Connection, we use mindfulness therapy, somatic therapy, and brain-based interventions to support holistic, trauma-informed healing. Mindfulness helps you stay grounded in the present moment and relate to your thoughts and emotions with more awareness and compassion. Somatic therapy for trauma focuses on how the body stores stress and emotional pain, using tools like breathwork, movement, and sensation to restore calm and safety. Our brain-based therapy techniques, informed by neuroscience, help regulate the nervous system, reduce anxiety, and support lasting emotional resilience.
-
Ego State Therapy
Ego State Therapy is a trauma-informed approach that helps you explore the different “parts” or “states” of self that form in response to life experiences—especially during times of stress or trauma. At Thrive Counseling for Healing and Connection, we use Ego State Therapy to support clients in understanding internal conflicts, emotional triggers, and behaviors that may feel confusing or out of sync with their goals. By working with these internal parts in a safe and supportive way, clients develop greater self-awareness, emotional regulation, and healing from past wounds. Ego State Therapy is especially helpful for those navigating complex trauma, anxiety, and attachment wounds.
