Therapy

Life is rich with changes and transitions. While many times we face these natural experiences with enthusiasm, curiosity, and excitement, sometimes changes lead to feeling stressed, angry, overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed. I specialize in working with “tweens”, teens, college students, young adults, and new parents to help them adjust to the natural, but sometimes challenging experiences that life presents.

Tweens

“Tweens”, children between the ages of 9 and 12, are going through a period of rapid physical, social, and emotional development. They are beginning to demonstrate some characteristics of adolescents, but still have many of the needs and behaviors of children. Although they often seek greater independence, they often need support making wise decisions. Tweens experience many new demands such as starting middle school, navigating friendships, coping with physical and emotional development, and developing a self identify. They may face challenges such as peer pressure, bullying, rebelliousness, interest in boys/girls, changes in body image, sadness, worry, or anger. Therapy can help tweens learn more about themselves, discover new ways to overcome problems, improve self-esteem, and learn new ways to communicate with others. Family participation in therapy can help improve family communication and cooperation.

Adolescents

The teenage years are marked by many changes and new experiences. Adolescents are often energetic, idealistic, and passionate about topics of importance to them. Relationships are changing as friendships and romance, rather than cliques, become more important. While younger teens may seek greater privacy from their parents and are often highly influenced by their peers, older teens often begin to realize that their parents are often a great source of support and advice. Some teens, however, have difficulty coping with the many physical, social, academic, extracurricular demands they experience. Adolescents who are struggling may exhibit difficulties with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, self-abusive behaviors such as cutting, eating disorders, drug/alcohol use, anger and aggression, poor school performance, or truancy. Therapy can help teenagers improve their coping skills, judgement, and resiliency so that they are better able to manage the varied experiences of adolescence and young adulthood. Likewise, helping parents and teens develop more open communication in which all topics, even the most difficult, can be broached can reduce conflict and strengthen relationships.

College Students

College is often the first time a student is expected to be completely responsible for his or her schedule, day-to-day tasks, and personal health. Although the college years are sometimes idealized, in truth, grades, the need to perform, decisions about the future, and relationships can be quite stressful. In addition, leaving the supportive wing of parents and the familiarity of childhood friends can lead to persistent feelings of distress. Notably, the majority of students who withdraw from college do so for mental health reasons, primarily for depression and anxiety. Therapy can help college students create a more balanced lifestyle, develop better ways to manage stress, and clarify values and goals.

Young Adults

Young adults face many uncertainties. With debt from student loans and credit cards, the rising cost of living independently, and an unpredictable job market, young adults often experience feelings of stress, discouragement, and anxiety. Despite best intentions, young adults may struggle to plan for their future and feel unsure about how to move forward in their lives. Major events such as leaving their parents’ home, seeking employment, navigating relationships, getting married, and considering children, while exciting, can also lead to feelings of stress and anxiety. Therapy can help individuals clarify goals, increase self-understanding, improve communication skills, develop new ways to manage stress, and reduce feelings of depression and anxiety.

New Parents

Parenting infants, babies, and young children can be a roller coaster ride with amazing highs and difficult lows. New parents and parents of young children experience many strong and conflicting feelings. The thrill when your baby smiles or your toddler says she loves you for the first time contrasts sharply with the anxiety and frustration when your irritable baby won’t stop crying or the anger when your toddler refuses to get dressed in the morning. Despite your love for them, the day-to-day caretaking of young children is often demanding and exhausting. Parenting children with special needs, such as irritable and reactive children, children with chronic illnesses, and children with developmental delays is particularly taxing. Parents may experience feelings of depression, guilt, anxiety, anger, and resentment. Therapy can offer emotional support to parents, developmental guidance, and pragmatic advice to improve happiness and reduce stress.