Counseling for Teens
In-Person and Online Therapy for Teens within New Hampshire
Does it sometimes feel like nobody gets you?
You may be saying to yourself “Nobody understands what I’m going through or how I feel”. If so, you probably feel pretty alone right now. You may even KNOW that you’re not, but you still FEEL that way. You probably also feel pretty stressed out, sad, and overwhelmed! Wondering if you’re good enough when you’re trying your hardest, but it feels like everyone expects SO MUCH from you. How can you be who YOU want to be and who EVERYONE ELSE wants you to be? Now it feels like it’s affecting every part of your life…
Fights with your parents or siblings
Arguments with your friends
Feeling bullied by other kids at school
Struggling to stay focused and complete schoolwork
Not wanting to go to activities, sports, or clubs that you used to enjoy
Feeling like you want to yell or cry all the time
Counseling can help!
If you’re struggling right now, there are a few things you need to know...
You are NOT alone.
You are MORE than enough.
There’s NOTHING wrong with you.
You CAN feel more CONFIDENT and HAPPY!
AND… Counseling can help you get to the point where you believe those statements and experience it for yourself!
Therapy helps you do 3 things:
Figure out what’s going on
Life can feel confusing and hard! Sometimes it’s the things that happen to you in your life that can be really hard to figure out. Other times it’s simply the changes that you experience as you grow up and mature that can be confusing. It can feel like you’re different than you used to be or than other people and you may not like these new thoughts or feelings. It might even seem like everyone else has it figured out and you’re wondering why you don’t. You might be having emotions like sadness or anger or maybe you’re even making choices that you don’t feel good about and you don’t understand why. Counseling can help you identify what is feeling “off” to you so that you can learn how to feel better.
Understand yourself and the world
When life (and the world) feels confusing and hard it can be especially challenging to understand where you fit into it. Figuring out who you are and what you want for yourself can be really empowering and liberating, but it isn’t easy to do and can feel very stressful. You want everyone to know the “real you”, but first YOU have to know yourself. We can work together to help you understand yourself… the thoughts you’re having, the feelings you’re experiencing, and the choices you’re making. I won’t tell you who you are or what to do, but I will help you understand the why and teach you how to work through the problems you’re experiencing and how you’re feeling about all of it. We’ll also help you understand all of the amazing, wonderful things about yourself and I’m sure there are A LOT of them (even if you might not be sure what those are yet).
Empower you to live the life you want
Once you understand what’s going on with yourself and begin to understand who you are and what you want, then you can start learning the skills you’ll need to feel more able to live the life YOU WANT for yourself. Through our work together you’ll learn information and gain the tools and skills you need to resolve the problems you’re experiencing. You’ll have more control over your thoughts and feelings. You’ll learn how to express yourself and communicate more clearly. You’ll understand yourself better so that you’ll stop being so hard on yourself. All with the main goal of empowering you to be more confident, feel happier, and have better relationships with your family and others.
You don’t have to keep feeling like you’re alone, not good enough, and stressed out.
I can help you feel understood, confident, and happier!
FAQ:
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There is nothing wrong with you! Seeing a therapist just means that it would be helpful for you to have a place where you feel comfortable and safe talking about what’s going on in your life and the things you can do to make your life even better so that you feel happier.
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Well, to start, you have a lot of say in what YOUR therapy is like, but I’ll give you an idea of what it COULD look like. Generally, we’ll meet weekly or at least every other week, depending on your needs. We’ll either meet in-person or online. Therapy might look a little different depending on which it is, but either way, it’ll be a place where you’re free to discuss what’s been going on that week or what’s on your mind. We’ll work together to create some goals that you’d like to work on. I’ll also help you think through the problems you’re facing whether it be at home, school, or the fight that you had that week with your best friend and even practice some of the new skills you’ve learned to help you resolve those problems.
We’re bound to talk about some hard topics, but hopefully, your sessions will be a time during the week that you look forward to… even have some fun during. We might break out some games or maybe you’ll share some of your favorite music with me. If you love art, we can explore some art therapy techniques. This is your time and since you’re unique, your therapy is bound to be too.
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Therapy is designed to be confidential. Confidentiality is a term that means that what you share with me stays between us. It's like a safe space where you can talk about anything without worrying about others finding out. This helps build trust between us and allows you to be open and honest about your thoughts and feelings.
I know it might feel uncomfortable, but involving your parents in some aspects of our sessions, for instance, me sharing with them general information, like the skills you’re working on, can be really helpful and can lead to better outcomes for you. However, you and I will discuss together what information you’re comfortable with me sharing with them and how to do it in a way that respects your privacy.
While most of what you share with me will be kept confidential, there are a couple of situations where I might need to break that confidentiality to keep you or someone else safe. Those situations include if you tell me about harm to yourself or someone else, or if there's a risk of abuse or neglect. In those situations, I may legally need to involve others to ensure everyone's safety.
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It’s normal and ok to be nervous, or even unsure, about starting therapy. Almost everybody is! You don’t know me and it can feel uncomfortable talking with someone you don’t know. We’ll probably spend the first few sessions just getting to know each other, maybe play some games or listen to some music as we talk. Hopefully, you’ll start to feel comfortable as you get to know me and get a better feel for what therapy is like. It takes time to build trust and if you’re willing to give it a try, then I’m willing to be patient and allow you to share as you feel comfortable.
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I think sometimes there is a belief that talking with a therapist means you walk in and tell them EVERYTHING you’re thinking and feeling; “spill your guts” so to speak. This isn’t usually how it goes and it isn’t even necessary or therapeutically appropriate. Therapy is about building trust. I would never expect that you’d feel comfortable sharing very personal things right away with me. As we get to know each other and that trust builds, then you will hopefully feel more comfortable talking about the personal or hard things that come up. The first few sessions really are about building that trust and rapport. Ultimately it is up to you to decide what and when to share or discuss something. There may be times that I bring something up (that is kind of my job after all), but it is totally acceptable to let me know you’re not ready to talk about that right then and we can circle back to it if needed.
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Have your parents reach out to schedule a consultation with me. During that call I will talk to them and you, if you’d like, to find out a little bit about what’s been going on and answer whatever questions you have. Part of the purpose of the call is for you to get a feel for me to see if I’m someone that you think you’d like to work with. If we all think it’s a good fit, we can schedule a first appointment. If it’s not a good fit, that’s ok too. I might be able to refer you to another therapist that you feel comfortable with.