Psychotherapy with adolescents- tweens and teens- is another area of expertise for which I am known. In my over 25 years of working with adolescents, I have come to strongly believe that it is a distinct specialty from working with children. I work with adolescents at each developmental stage: early, middle and late adolescence. While kids enter adolescence at different ages, I work with kids as young as twelve. The adolescents I see in therapy are in public and private schools and I know both worlds and many schools very well. My experience as a psychoeducational evaluator also informs my approaches with adolescents who have learning issues.  

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During an initial phone call with parents, I discuss how we would approach the consultation. Depending on age and circumstances, I will sometimes first meet with an adolescent and at other times I first meet the parents. Generally, the older the adolescent, the more likely I will meet with them first. It is essential to set a tone from the beginning that the therapy is the adolescent's. However we begin, meeting with parents would be an important part of the consultation process.  After meeting with an adolescent in consultation, most often two or three meetings, I would give feedback and make recommendations to both the adolescent and the parents.  At that point, we would also discuss how confidentiality is handled, what kind of parental involvement to anticipate in the therapy, and what to expect as the therapy proceeds. In my psychotherapy with adolescents, I work with their parents, as-needed, responding to the individualized needs of each family.

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I adapt to the needs of each adolescent and family and have found that almost every adolescent I have worked with has not only benefited from therapy but has also generally enjoyed it and found it worthwhile.  

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For details about my private practice policies, please see the Practical Matters section.

 

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