Navigating through life with Counselling for Teens
What’s counselling for teens all about?
If there is one truth that I can tell you without putting my counsellor’s hat on and that is life can be tough. And while most people might chalk this up to “just how life is”, I don’t subscribe to that idea. I became a counsellor to help people. Because my life was tough. The emotional turmoil, the confusion, navigating my feeling of otherness, hiding my true self - all of it led me down this faithful path that has given me the privilege of supporting those who need help. And that’s why, counselling for teens is one of the cornerstones of my practice.
Being a teen is tough. I get it.
You’re at the mercy of hormones, of wanting independence, of needing care and support. You want to be treated like a grown up, but you don’t have the experience to navigate the world on your own. Add to the mix gender confusion, questioning your orientation, navigating cross cultural challenges, neurodivergence, coping with big family issues, and life changes…. it can be hard to handle.
This is why I offer counselling for teens, because having someone who isn’t your family or friends help you gain a fresh perspective, talk through your questions, help you wrangle your fears, or work through your frustrations and worries is going to make the path you are on so much easier to walk.
That’s where I come in! I’m that person who is here to listen in a way others can’t.
I’m on your side, without judgement, without prejudice, without hesitation to be an objective party to guide you. I can be your sounding board.
So what does my counselling for teens look like?
Counselling for Teens: You’re in the driver’s seat
Being a teen has its ups and downs. Like I said, it’s a struggle for control, for safety, for support, for identity. But in a world where adults spend a lot of energy telling their teens what to do, where to go, and holding them as close as they can until they are ready to strike out on their own, I offer a space where you are in control.
What does that mean?
Well, unlike counselling for adults, when it comes to counselling for teens, I define my style as patient-led. This means that I’m not calling the shots, I’m not picking the direction of the conversation. I’m letting you do that.
This is absolutely an important part of my role in counselling for teens, because not only do I want to create a safe space for you to open up, but I want to see you thrive. I want to help - that’s just my nature.
And let’s be honest, you’ve come to see me for a reason. And it could be that that reason is hard to articulate, or maybe you aren’t sure where to start. And that’s ok!
Our sessions move at your pace.
As a counsellor, I want to gain your trust - truth be told, I need to gain your trust, because it’s that trust that will let us do the real work of navigating this time in your life.
Of course, I’m going to help you along in the process, but the key takeaway for you is that we do it at your comfort level, and we work together to build a mutual understanding, respect, and system that allows me to give you what you need.
Is counselling for teens confidential?
If you’re wondering whether what we chat about will stay between us, let me speak from experience - I was a teenager once too - and I’ve been doing this for a while, one of the biggest barriers I face when providing counselling for teens, is the very real worry that what we discuss is going to be shared with your parents or caregivers.
So, I want to be perfectly clear:
Nothing in our sessions will be disclosed to your parents or caregivers, unless:
You want to loop them in - which is absolutely up to you OR
2. What you have told me puts you or someone else directly in harm’s way.
Other than that, everything stays between us.
What do I cover in my counselling for teens sessions?
I know I said this already, life can be tough. And being a teens is probably one of the hardest stages of life we go through.
Adults tend to brush off teenagers as ‘having it easy’. As we get older and our challenges become more complex, we forget how confusing, frustrating and exhausting being a teen can be.
On the one hand, the challenges of youth do seem a lot simpler than those of adulthood when we worry more about job security, income, starting families, housing… the list goes on.
But on the other hand, even if adult challenges are more complex, our brains have matured, our hormones have levelled off, and society tends to view us as capable and gives us more opportunities to face our challenges.
For teens, like I said before, you’re in this middle ground between being a kid and being an adult. It’s a place of incredible growth and intense emotion that can make it difficult for you to feel like you are being taken seriously.
My counselling for teens services are meant to help you through this time in your life.
I give you space to work things out, freedom to express yourself and a judgement-free voice to talk to.
Our session can cover anything that is impacting your life.
Maybe you’re having a hard time finding yourself or you’re struggling with gender identity. Maybe you’re neurodivergent and feel like an outcast, or like you are struggling making space for yourself.
I can help you navigate and work through all these issues.
Other than counselling for teens, what else can I help with? Life.
Sometimes, things get chaotic and change. These changes are out of your control - like your parents splitting up, transitioning from middle school to high school, big moves, cultural issues - there’s a whole list of things and changes that make the day to day harder.
Let me be your sounding board
The most important part about counselling for teens is making sure that you know, you don’t have to do this alone.
Where do we go from here?
If you’re here and reading this, then you or your teen need help. And I want to acknowledge that that is a huge step in your counselling journey. So, take a moment and let that sink in. Because the hardest part really can be taking that first step.
From here, poke around my site, get to know who I am. Really think about if you feel a connection with me. I understand that it can be hard to trust the adults in your life, and I’m asking you for that trust as well.
But I can tell you right now, if you don’t like what you learn about me from reading my website - spoiler: I laugh loudly and won’t put up any false pretenses about who I am; I encourage you to show up as yourself and laugh with me, too - then it’s possible we won’t click the way we need to in order to help you find as the best version of yourself.
If we do, then let’s get your parent or guardian involved. Have them fill out this form, and let’s find out how we can work together to make being a teenager the best time of your life.
