“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” – Rainer Maria Rilke
Adolescence involves many important choices
The choices made during adolescence shape one for years to come. You may find yourself wondering: “Does my teenager need counseling?” If you are concerned about the choices your teen is making it might be helpful to have some added support in the form of a teen therapist for them. Having a trusted place where they can reflect on where their lives are headed apart from their family and school can be a renewing experience for them. If you’re looking for a teen therapist or a teen counselor in Denver, please feel free to reach out to me.
Some teens struggle more than others
Teen counseling or therapy can be helpful for a variety of issues. Some more general ones could include school success, self-esteem, communication, and anger. Some more acute issues that your teen may be struggling with include self-harm, lying, drug use, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and depression. My Denver teen therapy practice has helped teens overcome all of these.
How I came to enjoy working with teens
During the summers of college I worked as a camp counselor and then a wilderness trip leader for teens. During this time I came to appreciate the candor and potential of this age group. When I became a therapist I continued to find satisfaction in working with this age in a more focused way than I had as a camp counselor and trip leader.
In addition to graduate school, where I had internships at an elementary school and a counseling clinic that served all ages, I then worked as a therapist seeing many children and adolescents, in addition to adults. I continued my professional training at the Denver Family Institute postgraduate program, where for over four years I participated in coursework and supervision in couples and family therapy and conducted 250 hours of supervised therapy sessions at the clinic. My experience at the Denver Family Institute deepened my interest and competence in working with teens and families.
To further my commitment in working with teens, in 2017 I became a provider in the Second Wind Fund network, which is a Colorado program that matches youth at risk of suicide to a carefully screened and monitored group of therapists who have significant experience providing treatment to youth at risk of suicide. Through this program I have provided therapy for many middle and high school students at their schools.
Supporting your teen through whatever it is they need extra help with is something I would have a great interest in doing. If you’re looking for teenage counseling services near you and you live near Denver, Glendale, Cherry Creek, or any of the surrounding areas, please contact me to discuss how I might be able to help.