A teenager who seems fine and a teenager who is fine are not always the same person.
Adolescence asks a lot of a young person. They are figuring out who they are while the ground keeps moving, school, friendships, family expectations, a phone that never stops, and a body and brain in the middle of enormous change. From the outside it can look like moodiness. From the inside it often feels like a lot to hold.
Individual therapy for teens gives your child something they rarely get, an adult who is fully on their side, who is not grading them, grounding them, or trying to fix them, and who has the patience to earn their trust slowly. Teenagers can tell the difference between someone talking at them and someone actually listening. I work to be the second kind of person.
This is for adolescents, roughly thirteen to eighteen, carrying anxiety, low mood, questions about identity, the crush of academic pressure, friendship and peer struggles, or the strain of family expectations. The goal is not to make them more convenient. It is to help them feel steadier, more understood, and more themselves.
Who this is for
- ✓Teens who are anxious, withdrawn, irritable, or just not seeming like themselves lately
- ✓Young people wrestling with identity, self-esteem, and the question of who they are becoming
- ✓Adolescents buckling under academic pressure, perfectionism, or fear of disappointing people
- ✓Teens navigating friendships, social media, exclusion, or the ache of not fitting in
- ✓Young people feeling the weight of family or cultural expectations, especially in immigrant and Asian-American families
How I work with teens
I meet a teenager as a whole person, not a problem to be corrected. Early on, the work is mostly about trust. I am in no rush, and I do not lecture. When a young person senses they can be honest without being judged or reported on for every word, they start to bring the real stuff, and that is where change begins.
Drawing on psychodynamic, attachment, and client-centered work, we make sense of what they are feeling and where it comes from, while also building practical ways to manage anxiety, stress, and hard moments as they come up. It is depth and relief together, at a pace that respects them.
Privacy is part of what makes it work. A teen needs to know this hour is genuinely theirs. At the same time, parents are not shut out. I keep the appropriate lines of communication open, share what is important for a caregiver to know, and offer guidance to families, while protecting the confidential space that lets a young person actually use therapy.
How the work unfolds
We earn trust first
The early sessions are about safety and rapport, not interrogation. Your teen sets some of the pace, and discovers this is a place they can be real.
We make sense of it together
We name what they are feeling, anxiety, pressure, self-doubt, identity questions, and begin to understand where it comes from without shame.
They build real skills
Alongside the deeper work, your teen leaves with practical tools for the moments that overwhelm them, at school, with friends, and at home.
Parents stay thoughtfully in the loop
I balance your teen's privacy with your need for guidance, keeping you oriented and involved in the ways that genuinely help.
Good things to know
Will you tell me what my teenager says in session?
I protect your teen's confidentiality, because that privacy is what makes the work possible, while always keeping you informed of anything that affects their safety. I share the guidance and themes you need as a parent, and we talk openly about where those lines sit from the start.
My teen does not want to go. Can this still work?
Very often, yes. Reluctance is normal and I expect it. My job is to earn their trust rather than force it, and many teens who arrive skeptical come to value having a space that is entirely their own.
Is telehealth a good fit for teenagers?
It often suits them well. Teens are comfortable connecting through a screen, and being in their own room can help them relax and speak more freely. All sessions are held on a secure, confidential platform, anywhere in California.
What does it cost, and do you take insurance?
Sessions with me begin at $285. Our practice accepts some insurance plans, offers a limited sliding scale, and can provide superbills for out-of-network reimbursement. Full details are on our Fees page.
Related services
Areas we work with here
You’ve read this far for a reason.
When you’re ready, a brief consultation is a gentle first step, no pressure, no obligation.
or call (626) 539-7290