What does therapy involve with my teen?
Before starting therapy…
Before starting therapy with someone, we encourage you to find someone that specializes in or has a lot of experience working with teens and someone that seems like they’d be a good fit for your teen’s needs and interests. We suggest having your teen involved in the process of choosing someone as well! Whether you find a few therapists & then have them choose or let me them find a few therapists and then you narrow it down, this allows them to have buy in to the therapy process and help find someone they think will be a good fit. Research shows that if a client feels that the therapist is a good fit, there is more progress made in therapy.
First session…
During your first session at Work It Out Wellness, we like to meet with just the parents and/or caregivers. That way, we can hear from you – in detail – about your teen’s history, current struggles with relationships, at school, or at home, and what your goals and hopes for therapy are. We may ask about what pregnancy or childbirth was like for you, how they do in school, what their peer relationships are like, what their biggest struggles are, and more. We like having a thorough background and history of what got your teen to where they are now.
First few sessions with your teen…
We spend the first few sessions with your teen getting to know them and building trust. We ask them questions & they have space to ask us questions. We might do art projects, play games, or just chat – it is completely up to your teen! We let them choose, so that they feel more comfortable and feel some autonomy in session. We also talk about goals and what they want to get out of therapy. Sometimes, teens may also feel ready and comfortable to dive into the work as well.
Then, we work!
Once your teen starts feeling more comfortable, we start working on goals. This may include building their “toolbox” with healthy coping skills, working through symptoms of anxiety, building confidence, improving relationships, working through tough experiences or life transitions, and more. Each teen has their own unique set of needs and goals, so we will build a treatment plan that works best for them. Work It Out Wellness believes in holistic and collaborative care, so we will work with you and your teen to come up with the treatment plan!
Will you tell me everything my teen says in session?
As the teen gets older, it may benefit them to have more of a say in their therapy journey. Therefore, we may share less with parents about what teens share in session. We do, however, share important things with parents. This may include coping skills we are working on or if the teen is in some kind of danger. We always tell parents if the teen is going to hurt themselves or someone else, if they are involved in risky behavior, or if there is any kind of abuse going on. We work with teens and parents at the beginning of therapy to discuss what all will be shared between parents, teens, and the therapist, so that we are all on the same page as to what confidentiality looks like.
Questions? Reach out to us, and we can set up a time to chat about your needs. If we aren’t a good fit, we are always willing to point you in the right direction and provide you with resources. You can also request an appointment on our website!