Teen & Adolescent Therapy · Chicago, IL
A therapist who is actually on your teen's side.
Therapy for teenagers and adolescents ages 12 to 17 who are struggling with anxiety, ADHD, peer pressure, social media, big emotions, and everything else that makes being a teen feel overwhelming right now. Serving families in Chicago and throughout Illinois.
For parents: I will not share what your teen says in sessions unless their safety is at risk. That trust is the foundation of everything, and it is what makes teen therapy actually work.
Adolescents ages 12 to 17, from middle school through high school
Teen therapy looks very different from adult therapy, and the approach has to fit where teenagers actually are developmentally, not where adults wish they were.
In addition to anxiety, OCD, life transitions, and relationship issues, I see a significant number of teens with ADHD, including the emotional regulation challenges that come with it and are rarely talked about.
Teens in Chicago and surrounding areas come to therapy through two very different paths: sometimes a parent notices something is wrong and reaches out. Increasingly, teens ask their parents to start therapy themselves. Both are completely valid.
Every teen's struggle is valid — no matter how it shows up
Teen anxiety often looks different from adult anxiety. Here are the most common presentations I work with in my Chicago practice:
Excessive worry, racing thoughts, physical symptoms like a racing heart or nausea, or panic attacks. Teen anxiety often looks like avoidance, irritability, or physical complaints such as stomachaches.
ADHD and Emotional Dysregulation
A lesser-known ADHD symptom is intense, overwhelming emotions, not just difficulty focusing. Teens with ADHD often feel things more intensely than their peers, which leads to outbursts and frustration that is frequently misread as defiance.
Social Issues and Peer Conflict
Feeling left out, difficulty making or keeping friends, conflict within friend groups, or struggling to navigate the social landscape of middle and high school.
Low Self-Esteem and Body Image
Negative self-talk, feeling like they do not belong, social media comparison, and body image concerns that affect confidence and daily life.
Behavioral Issues at Home or School
Getting in trouble frequently, acting out, or not listening. These behaviors usually signal something deeper going on beneath the surface. Big behavior typically means overwhelming, unprocessed emotion.
Social Media Pressure
Social media accelerates comparison, risky behavior, and pressure for teens to grow up faster than they are ready for. The impact on self-esteem, especially for girls, is significant.
Separation Anxiety
Some teens still experience real distress around separating from their parents, particularly during transitions. More common than people realize, and very treatable.
Starting high school, changing schools, family changes, or questioning identity. Adolescence involves enormous change, and teen therapy provides a dedicated space to process all of it.
OCD and Intrusive Thoughts
Teens with OCD often go undiagnosed because their symptoms don't match the stereotype. ERP therapy is highly effective and always paced to where they are.
Building real trust first
The first few sessions of teen therapy are less about doing therapeutic work and more about building a genuine relationship. I talk about what they are into, what is annoying them, what is making them laugh. I do not pretend I understand the specifics of their world, but I do relate to them as someone who was also a teenager once.
For teens who were brought in by parents and would rather be anywhere else, this rapport-building phase is real and necessary. Nothing productive happens until a teen trusts that I am not another adult there to report back to their parents or tell them what to do. Once that trust is in place, teens often open up in ways that genuinely surprise themselves.
Respecting Their Autonomy
Teens are developmentally wired to crave independence. I honor that in every session. They talk about what they want to talk about. In the first session I go over confidentiality clearly: I will not share the contents of our work together with their parents unless there is a safety concern. That clarity is genuinely powerful for a teenager who is worried about being exposed.
What I Use in Sessions
- CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) is particularly effective for teens because the thought-feeling-behavior connection is clear and logical. It gives teens real tools rather than abstract concepts.
- ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) for teens dealing with OCD, social anxiety, or specific phobias, approached gradually and always at their pace.
- We externalize anxiety, treating it as a separate entity from the teen rather than part of who they are. We sometimes even give it a name. This shift is surprisingly empowering.
- For creative teens, art therapy elements and visual tools like an emotions wheel help them find language for experiences they previously could not articulate.
- Consistent validation and normalization throughout, especially early on. Many teens are shocked to learn that other teens feel the same way they do.
Real skills for real life
What teens leave with isn't just insight — it's a practical toolkit they can use in the moment, in friendships, in class, and at home.
| Skill or Insight | What It Looks Like in Practice |
|---|---|
| Emotional Vocabulary | Naming how they actually feel gives teens language for experiences they previously could not articulate or express. |
| Control vs. Uncontrollable | Learning what is and is not in their control reduces anxiety and helps them stop expending energy on things they cannot change. |
| Thought-Feeling-Behavior Link | Understanding how thinking patterns affect feelings and behavior, and how to interrupt that cycle when it is harmful. |
| Social Skills and Assertiveness | How to navigate peer conflict, express their needs, and handle social situations that feel overwhelming. |
| Practical Coping Strategies | Grounding exercises, breathing techniques, and personalized coping statements they can actually use in the moment. |
| They Are Not Alone | Realizing that other teens struggle too is often the first and most impactful shift in the entire process. |
Starting adolescent therapy can feel complicated as a parent. Here's what I want you to know.
- The rapport-building phase is real. Do not expect dramatic change after session one. The first weeks are foundational, and that foundation is what makes everything else possible.
- Your teen's confidentiality is what makes therapy work. Teens need to know they can be honest without it getting back to you. I go over this clearly in their first session, including the one exception: if a safety concern arises, I will contact you — but I always talk with your teen first.
- I involve parents based on what the presenting problem calls for. Some situations require more frequent parent communication; others do not.
- The first session includes a parent component for intake. After that, sessions are generally teen-only.
- Patience is one of the most important things you can offer right now. Behavior changes take time, and the goal is not perfection but understanding.
- If your teen is resistant to coming, that is completely workable. Many of the teens I have helped most started out not wanting to be there at all.
Answers for parents and teens
My teen refuses to go to therapy. What should I do?
This is one of the most common situations I encounter, and it is completely workable. Many of the teens I have helped most started out sitting in my office with their arms crossed, giving one-word answers. The first few sessions for a resistant teen are not about doing therapy at all. They are about proving that this is a safe, nonjudgmental space. I talk about their interests, what is annoying them, sometimes just whatever they feel like saying. Once they realize I am not there to lecture them, fix them, or report everything back to their parents, the dynamic almost always shifts. Give it at least three to four sessions before drawing any conclusions about whether it is working.
Will you tell my parents everything I say in therapy?
No. What you share in our sessions is confidential and stays between us. The exceptions are the situations I am legally required to report: if you tell me you are hurting yourself or someone else, or if I suspect abuse. Outside of those situations, the ins and outs of what we talk about are yours. I will always check in with you before speaking with your parents about anything, and I will ask what, if anything, you are comfortable with me sharing. Your privacy is something I take very seriously, because without it, therapy does not work.
How do I know if my teen actually needs therapy?
Signs that teen therapy might be helpful include changes in mood or behavior lasting more than a few weeks, withdrawal from friends or activities they used to enjoy, declining grades, frequent emotional outbursts, sleeping too much or too little, expressing hopelessness or persistently negative thoughts about themselves, or physical complaints without a clear medical cause. You do not have to be certain. If something feels off and it has been going on for a while, a free consultation is a low-stakes way to get a professional perspective without committing to anything.
My teen was diagnosed with ADHD. Can therapy help?
Yes, significantly. A lot of parents bring their teen to ADHD therapy focused on the behavioral symptoms, the impulsivity, the incomplete homework, the classroom disruptions. What is often underneath all of that is a teen with genuinely big emotions who does not have the tools to manage them yet. Teens with ADHD frequently experience emotional intensity that is more overwhelming than what their peers feel, and that is not something medication alone addresses. In therapy, we work directly on emotional regulation, frustration tolerance, self-esteem, and the social challenges that often come with ADHD. Understanding their brain, rather than fighting it, is genuinely empowering for most teens.
How often does my teen need to come, and how long will therapy take?
Sessions are weekly, 45 minutes. How long the overall process takes depends on the teen, what they are working on, and how things unfold. Some adolescents make meaningful progress in three to four months. Others benefit from ongoing support across a full school year or longer. We check in about this regularly, and the teen is always part of the conversation about pacing and next steps.
Do you offer virtual sessions for teens?
Yes, and many teens actually prefer it. Attending from their bedroom, the family car, or wherever feels most comfortable removes some of the friction of getting to an office. Virtual teen therapy in Illinois is just as effective as in-person for most concerns, and the flexibility often makes it easier to stay consistent, which is one of the biggest predictors of good outcomes. Sessions are conducted through a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform.
What about social media? Do you talk about that in sessions?
Always, when it is relevant. Social media is one of the most significant influences on teen mental health right now, and pretending otherwise would be a disservice. I talk openly with teens about comparison culture, how algorithms are designed to keep them scrolling, and the ways that constant exposure to a highlight reel can distort their sense of what is normal or achievable. I never shame teens about their social media use, but I do help them develop a more conscious relationship with it. For teen girls especially, that conversation can be a turning point.
My son is not the type who talks about feelings. Is this still worth trying?
Yes. Honestly, some of the teens I have connected with most deeply started out exactly like that. Boys, in particular, are often brought to therapy because of behavioral issues, when what is really going on underneath is a lot of unexpressed pressure, emotion, and confusion that nobody has given them space to work through. I do not push teens to talk about feelings before they are ready. We build up to it, at their pace. The fact that your son is not naturally expressive does not mean he has nothing going on. It often means the opposite.
Ready to find out if we're the right fit for your teen?
A free 20-minute consultation gives you a real sense of how I work, what teen therapy looks like in practice, and whether my approach fits your family.