Adolescence can be a turbulent and intense time for many. No longer children but not yet adults, adolescents struggle with issues of independence and self-identity, and the road to self-identity can be rather bumpy. In therapy, teens begin to understand why they feel the way they do and how to manage their intense emotions. Because adolescence is a time to learn how to become independent in preparation for adulthood, teens can expect a high level of confidentiality in their sessions. I am careful to respect this privacy even while keeping parents apprised of their adolescent's progress.

Depending on the nature of the issues presented I feel that it is important, at times, to involve the parents. This helps reestablish a parent/adolescent connection as well as to introduce clear, consistent boundaries and consequences for acceptable and unacceptable. I work with adolescents who have trouble with: