Teen Therapy
holistic therapy for Teens and their families
Evenings and Weekend Appointments Available Online and In-Person
Does Your Teen Struggle To Feel Like “Enough”?
Is something “off” with your teen?
Despite being high-achieving and checking all the boxes, have you noticed them develop feelings of intense pressure, dysregulation, or overwhelm?
Could they use dedicated time and space each week to slow down and explore who they are beneath all the noise of adolescence?
It’s normal for teens to struggle with anxiety, perfectionism, and self-doubt on the path to adulthood. Juggling the expectations of parents, teachers, friends, and society at large is a lot to add to the many internal changes already taking place at this time of life.
To make matters worse, many teens fall victim to a toxic comparison culture that just won’t quit, whether they’re measuring their success on the field, in the classroom, or on social media. Particularly in the success-driven community of the Bay Area, many of our adolescent clients experience constant and intense pressure to thrive physically, academically, socially, and within their immediate communities.
Our therapists often find that teens don’t want to be “fixed”—they just want to feel understood. Yet there are few spaces in their lives where there isn’t an expectation to succeed or perform. Luckily, therapy offers a bridge between the present and the future, making the path to adulthood a little less bumpy for teens.
Many Teens Struggle With The Need To Always Be Optimizing
Our comprehensive, trauma-informed counseling services are a great fit for teens who are thoughtful, creative, and ready to make sense of what feels “off”—even if they don’t know what it is yet.
Since we tend to draw clients with a high degree of emotional awareness, we’re particularly well-suited for teens who may be struggling with aspects of identity-based stress, including those who identify as LGBTQ2IA+. Despite growing acceptance and more cultural literacy around trauma, we understand that microaggressions and other stressors can accumulate in even the most progressive communities.
Take the next step. Reach out today!
Many Teens Feel Like They’re Always “On” And On Display
We also know that teens of all backgrounds have often experienced seemingly endless monitoring by those around them—especially in today’s tech-obsessed world—and they’ve been expected to build their “personal brand” from a young age. For many of our clients, this has resulted in:
Hypervigilance and obsessive self-monitoring of appearance, particularly in social situations.
Fears of rejection and being “cancelled” or socially excluded.
A constant need to be productive and internalized shame around not being or doing enough.
Confusion between authentic identity and performative identity.
Body image issues and dysphoria.
Emotional exhaustion from constant self-advocacy.
All the security and opportunities in the world can’t shield teens from the growing pains of life, but therapy can be an essential tool for cultivating emotional growth and long-term resilience. At Flourish Mindset Marriage and Family Therapy, we are passionate about helping teens overcome anxiety, cultivate awareness, and foster self-compassion as they become their most authentic, aligned selves.
Effective, Trauma-Informed Therapy For Teens Is Available At Our Practice
Our therapists are used to working with teens who come from high-powered families that have nurtured lots of creativity, exploration, and opportunities for growth. We understand that as a parent, it can feel discouraging to watch your teen struggle when you’ve done everything you can to see your child thrive. But it’s possible there just isn’t space left in your teen’s busy life to slow down, ask questions, and just be.
The counseling space is designed to provide your teen with enough calm and quiet to finally shush that inner critic and develop more clarity around what they really want. Our evidence-based approaches are safe, trauma-informed, and age-appropriate for teen clients.
What To Expect
At Flourish Mindset Marriage and Family Therapy, our therapists individualize the counseling process to each teen’s unique needs and experience of anxiety and overwhelm. Depending on what’s most helpful, we are likely to draw in some combination of the following treatment methods:
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy – teaches teens how to identify and manage their many “parts” (the anxious part, the critical part, the confident part, etc.) in a way that leads to stability instead of reactivity.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – this gentle, relatively nonverbal approach uses the brain’s natural healing mechanisms to process and heal disturbing memories to reduce intrusive thoughts and dysregulation.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills – using the core aspects of DBT—emotional regulation, grounding, distress tolerance, and effective communication—teens learn how to pause, manage big feelings, and respond thoughtfully rather than impulsively.
If you’re a teen in need of therapy, there is absolutely nothing wrong with or broken about you; it’s normal to feel anxious, overwhelmed, and unsure of who you are in this time of life. With support, you can change the monologue you hear in your head as you develop trust and confidence in who you are becoming. The therapy process teaches you exactly what you need to feel comfortable in your own skin.
Common Questions About Counseling For Teens…
Is teen therapy effective?
A lot of people who are unfamiliar with the concept of mental health counseling are a bit skeptical of its effectiveness at first. But therapy isn’t overnight magic—it’s a highly structured process with clear goals and measurable progress.
Our teen counselors use highly regarded, evidence-based therapy approaches, including CBT, DBT, EMDR, and IFS-informed methods, which have been proven to treat anxiety, depression, trauma, and other issues common among this group.
What if my teen won’t agree to counseling?
The majority of our teen clients feel a bit unsure about therapy at first—but that doesn’t mean it won’t help. Our teen therapists focus on building trust, not forcing change. The early part of this process is oriented around cultivating trust and helping your teen feel safe, and we regularly check in throughout sessions to discuss and adjust the pacing of therapy as needed.
If they’re still not ready to make a full-fledged commitment to therapy, let your teen know that our therapists are available for a few “trial sessions” without the expectation of long-term commitment. In these sessions, we can explore where some of this resistance is coming from and begin to change the narrative that therapy is ineffective or only for people who are insufficient in some way.
My teen has a packed schedule—how will I be able to fit in weekly therapy?
A lot of our teens are juggling many activities and obligations, so it’s understandable if your teen is already feeling stretched thin. Ideally, therapy will relieve feelings of pressure rather than add to them. And while consistency is important, it shouldn’t be overwhelming.
As part of the consultation and intake process, we will look at your schedule to determine a rhythm that feels manageable for all involved. If needed, we can always adjust scheduling and session frequency down the line.
Make Space For Your Happiest, Most Authentic Self
Flourish Mindset Marriage and Family Therapy is a great fit for teens who are thoughtful, sensitive, creative, and self-aware but in search of a counseling space where they can quiet the noise and feel free from pressure. For more information, schedule a consultation with one of our teen therapists.
Teen Therapists
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Michelle Shegda
Michelle is an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor & Associate Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in helping teens and young adults navigating identity, stress, depression, anxiety, trauma or family conflict. She draws upon her nearly two decades of experience leading youth development and comprehensive sex education programs, empowering young people to build healthy relationships, navigate identity formation, and develop life skills grounded in self-efficacy and resilience. her background working with athletes gives her a unique perspective and action oriented approach that often invcprotate movement in her sessions.
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Emily Chou
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
Emily is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist supervised by Hanna Stensby. She specializes in the assessment and treatment of children ages 0-5 who have experienced trauma and/or developmental delays. She has experience working with a variety of traumatic experiences with older children and teens including grief, anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicidal ideation, PTSD, traumatic loss and separation, attachment disruptions and difficulties, and child abuse and neglect.
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Savannah Jaouhari
LICENSED THERAPIST
Savannah is an Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. She uses a combination of therapeutic approaches, including Person-centered, Somatic experiencing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Gestalt, and The Gottman Method, and works with children (ages 5+), adolescents, and families facing eating disorders, trauma, and racial bullying.
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Freyja Lentz
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
Freyja is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist supervised by Hanna Stensby. She specializes in helping her clients heal from trauma using Attachment-focused therapy, Somatic experiencing, DBT EMDR therapy, narrative therapy, and Parts work (IFS informed). Freyja supports teens and children who are struggling to navigate the transition into adolescence, have undergone traumatic experiences, ADHD and neurodivergence.
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