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TEEN  COUNSELING

AREAS OF SPECIALTY

THE FIRST  APPOINTMENT

WHAT DOES THERAPY LOOK LIKE?

CONFIDENTIALITY AND TEENS

If you are reading this, you are probably deciding whether or not to come to counseling.  First of all, we are proud of you for considering coming to therapy. We know it can be a scary and vulnerable time. Thank you for being here and considering us! We are dedicated to our clients and want to ensure you that your time with your therapist is confidential (only exception is harm to self or others!), and we will only move at a pace that you decide.  Therapy is about relationship, so we have counselors that are passionate about getting to know you FIRST before any "therapy" begins. If there are any questions we can answer, please visit our frequently asked questions, call us, or shoot us an email. 

We specialize in working with the following issues with adolescents.  Please click on the link for more information. 

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The first step to successful treatment is setting goals together, because you cannot get to where you want to go unless you know where you are going. This process includes building rapport and getting to know each other to establish a level of comfortability with the process, getting some data about current symptoms and stressors, and understanding family dynamics and developmental history. At the Initial Intake consultation we meet with the parent(s) and teen together briefly to discuss confidentiality, but then the majority of time is spent with the teen to understand their point of view on counseling. The first session will include sharing about:

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  • Current concerns

  • An overview of any medical history & discuss any past treatment and evaluations

  • Review of family dynamics and any additional important family background information

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Part of the assessment process may include using evidence-based methods to gain perspective on the nature and intensity of symptoms. We will give you some assessments to fill out on the 2nd or 3rd visit. The various assessment tools we choose from are listed below.

 

  • Marschak Interaction Method (MIM) from Theraplay Institute

  • NICHQ Vanderbilt Assessments, Self Report, Parent/Teacher Report

  • Beck Youth Inventory- Second Edition

  • Sentence completion

  • Conners 3rd Edition

  • Moods and Feelings Questionairre

  • UCLA PTSD Index

  • Trauma Inventory Checklist

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After a treatment plan and goals are set for the counseling process, each session will bring you one step closer to your goals.  Several different methods can be used to help you reach your desired goals.  Here is a list of the modalities that we may choose from to create your unique counseling plan:

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  • Mindfulness practices

  • Psycho-education

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy

  • Trauma informed sensory interventions

  • Dialectical behavioral therapy techniques

  • Art Therapy

  • Sandtray

  • Narrative therapy

  • Family systems/Family therapy

  • Group therapy

Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a teen and his/her therapist. Successful therapy requires a high degree of trust. We will provide a written copy of the confidential disclosure agreement, and you can expect that what you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone.  This is called “Informed Consent”.  We will discuss and seek permission from the teen prior to disclosing any information with the parents, so that the teen is able to feel a zone of privacy with their therapy process. Sometimes, however, you may want your therapist to share information or give an update to someone else in your life (your doctor, your teacher, another family member other than your parents), but by law your therapist cannot release this information without obtaining your written permission.

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The only exceptions to confidentiality required by state law and professional ethics apply to the following situations:

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* Suspected past or present abuse or neglect of children, adults, and elders to the authorities, including Child Protection and law enforcement, based on information provided by the client or collateral sources.

* If the therapist has reason to suspect the client is seriously in danger of harming him/herself or has threatened to harm another person.

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Click here to view the informed consent of confidentiality agreement for teens.

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