Therapy for Teens in Oradell , NJ
Is Your Teen Struggling to Navigate Life, School, or Emotions?
- Do you notice your teen feels withdrawn, irritable, or anxious?
- Have you seen a decline in grades recently?
- Are you having more conflict with your teen?
- Is your teen someone you do not even feel like you recognize some days?
- Are these symptoms interfering with your daily functioning?
Adolescence is a time of profound change. (That is actually one of the main reasons I love working with teens.). Teens experience not only physical growth and hormonal shifts, but also dramatic emotional, social, and cognitive development. With all of these changes happening at once, it’s common for teens to feel overwhelmed, moody, or confused.
Some teens internalize stress, experience anxiety, depression, or self-doubt, while others may act out through defiance, risk-taking, or withdrawal. Even the most resilient teenagers can struggle to navigate peer pressure, academic expectations, and evolving family dynamics.
For parents, it can be confusing. One day your teen seems fine, the next day a small conflict feels like a major battle. You may wonder if they’re just “being a teenager,” or if something more serious is going on. The truth is, developmental changes make teens particularly sensitive to stress, and early support can prevent small challenges from becoming serious mental health concerns.
With compassionate counseling, teens can learn to process emotions, build coping skills, and feel understood during this critical stage of life.
I provide therapy for teens both in-person at my Bergen County area office or virtually!
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Mental Health Challenges are Common in Teens
Teens are going through a lot of change in a very short period of time. There are so many changes, pressure about the future – colleges and career choices. There is pressure to do well in school. And some teens have a lot on their plate like AP courses, sports, clubs, work, and volunteering.
Teens can face a variety of mental health struggles including but not limited to:
- depression
- anxiety
- social anxiety
- adjustment issues
- self-harm
- Approximately 1 in 5 adolescents experience a diagnosable mental health disorder each year.¹ (NIMH)
- Around 14% of teens experience major depressive episodes by age 18.² (CDC, Youth Risk Behavior Survey)
- Anxiety disorders affect an estimated 31.9% of adolescents at some point in their lifetime.³ (Anxiety & Depression Association of America)
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15–24-year-olds in the U.S., highlighting the urgency of emotional support.⁴ (CDC)
At Anew Counseling Services, I use evidence-based techniques to help your teen work through whatever they are struggling with.
Techniques to Work with Teens
Connection
Finding a therapist that knows how to connect with teens can be hard. If they do not connect with you, they will not speak. I try to be on their level. I talk about topics that are popular for their age.
I allow them to see that I can understand them despite being significantly older than them. I treat teens the same way I would treat opposed to coming off like an authority figure (they have plenty of authority figures in their life already)
Empathy
I cannot tell you how many times I have heard teens say that an adult does not care or just do not understand. Sometimes, as adults, it is hard for us to understand their problems because we have our own “adult” problems. Sometimes, in an adult’s mind we will think, “Me not being able to pay my mortgage is a lot worse than your boyfriend of two months breaking up with you.” But to a teenager, it is just as hard and just as traumatic.
I make sure that they know I care, I understand, and I am listening. I validate their feelings and make sure they know how important their feelings are to me.
Psycho Education
Psychoeducation involves teaching teens clear, understandable information about their emotional experiences, thought patterns, and behaviors. Many young people feel overwhelmed simply because they don’t have the language or knowledge to make sense of what they are going through. By breaking down complex psychological concepts into simple, relatable explanations, psychoeducation helps them feel more in control and less confused.
Psychoeducation also encourages questions and conversation. Instead of lecturing, I create a collaborative learning environment where the teen’s experiences guide the discussion. When teens understand why certain strategies work—such as grounding skills, coping skills, behavior change plans, or communication tools—they are more likely to use them consistently
Specific therapeutic techniques depends on the diganosis and how your teen is struggling. You can learn more about the different techniques I use on my other speciality pages for specific issues.
How Teen Therapy at Anew Counseling Services Can Help
What You Can Expect in Sessions
At the beginning, we’ll explore your teen’s symptoms, history, and what you and your teen hope to change. During the intake I take the time to speak with both the parents and teens, individually and together. Your teen will have a space to talk honestly, without pressure or judgment, about what they have been struggling with.
From there, we’ll work together to create a treatment plan tailored specifically for your teen. Throughout counseling, I am in communication with parents to discuss progress at home and to get insight and updates to help me work better with my client.
Why Anew Counseling Services for Teen Therapy?
I have worked with teenagers in a high school setting for over 15 years and in private practice for over 12 years. Teens are my speciality and an age group that I have the most experience working with. Working in my high school really helps me to see how teens interact invidually, with peers, and with adults. I have a deep understanding of middle school and high school which is where teens spend most of their time. I “get it.” I get what high school and middle school can be like and I truly understand the mind of a teenager. I believe these experiences have helped me work successfully with many teenagers over the years.
Common Questions About Teen Therapy
My teen does not want to go to therapy? How can I get them to try?
It is always a harder scenario when they are not open to counseling. That can be a battle in itself, but it is a battle that I have more often won than lost. All you have to do is get them in the door and give me some time. The beginning process may be a little slower if they are reluctant to counseling, but slow is better than nothing. I would also explain the benefits of counseling, allow them to talk to me on the phone during our consultation, and show them the videos of me in my blog so that they can get a sense of who I am.
What if weekly therapy is not enough for my teen?
In my practice I offer longer sessions (up to one hour) in addition to seeing some teens two times per week. In the event that a teen needs something more intensive, I will work with you to find a counseling program to fit their needs.
Will you tell me what my teen says?
Confidentiality is one of the most important parts of therapy and teens are protected by confidentiality as well. In the first session I discuss this and explain to parents that I will give an overview of what we are focusing on i.e. coping skills, goals setting and so forth but I will not directly tell parents what their teen has said unless it falls under the guidelines of what I have to break confidentiality for. But, I am always free to talk with parents and hear their concerns and parents are also welcome into sessions if needed. In addition, if your teen discloses something that I think would be beneficial for a parent to know I work with and try to get them to give me the okay to talk to their parent about the issue.
Supporting Teens Through Counseling — Growth, Resilience, and Confidence
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