Thinking about therapy for your teen

Signs worth taking seriously

Teens are supposed to change, push back and want more privacy. What is worth a closer look is change that lasts for weeks, shows up in several parts of life, or gets in the way of things your teen used to manage. You know your teen better than anyone, and a gut sense that something is off deserves attention.

None of these signs proves anything on its own, and this guide cannot diagnose. Diagnosis and medication sit with medical providers, and your teen's pediatrician or another medical provider is a good person to involve if you are worried about their health.

• Sleep and energy: Sleeping far more or far less, or seeming exhausted most of the time.
• Withdrawal: Pulling away from friends, family or activities they used to enjoy.
• School: Grades slipping, missed assignments, or a sudden reluctance to go.
• Mood: Irritability, tearfulness or flatness that does not seem to lift.

How to bring it up

How you raise therapy can shape how your teen hears it. It tends to land better as an offer than as a consequence, and better in a calm moment than in the middle of an argument. You might name what you have noticed, without judgment, and say you would like them to have someone outside the family to talk to. Giving them a real say, in the timing, the format, or whether to start with a consultation, helps it feel like their choice rather than a punishment.

Some teens are relieved to be asked. Others push back at first. Both are normal starting points, and neither one tells you how things will go once they are in the room.

Privacy, and where you fit

For anyone under eighteen, a parent or guardian is part of the process. Early on, we agree as a family what gets shared with you and what stays between your teen and me. That balance matters: teens tend to open up when they trust that not every detail goes home, and you stay informed about anything affecting their safety. You are a partner in the work, not someone kept at the door.

The teen therapy page describes the sessions themselves. When the strain sits between family members, family therapy brings the household into the room, and the two can run side by side.

What helps at home in the meantime

Keep doors open without forcing them. Short, low-pressure moments, like a drive, a walk or a shared meal, can make conversation easier than a formal sit-down talk. Listen more than you advise, at least at first. Keep routines around sleep and meals as steady as you can. And look after yourself too, because a worried parent is carrying a lot.

If ADHD seems to be part of the picture, the page on ADHD support for teens covers that side. For worry or low mood, anxiety therapy and depression therapy describe the work.

When it cannot wait

If your teen talks about hurting themselves, or you believe they are in danger, do not wait for an appointment. In an emergency, call 911, or call or text 988, or text HOME to 741741. The crisis resources page lists these lines in one place. Psi Wellness is an outpatient practice and does not provide emergency care.

Common questions