Teen Counseling: What to Look For

At a time when youth are struggling with mental health in record numbers, teen counseling is a lifeline. Today’s teens are more open to therapy, which means they can build a strong foundation for their future. With the right support and resources, teens and parents can navigate the challenges of adolescence together, emerging stronger and more connected.

What is teen counseling?

Adolescence is tough, and mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, ADHD, or eating disorders can make it tougher. Teen counseling helps by meeting young people where they are emotionally, socially, and physically.

“Kids traditionally have a harder time with abstract concepts; they need things to be simplified in a way that makes information more digestible. Abstract thinking skills begin to develop in the early teen years,” said Laura Lamminen, PhD, ABPP, a clinical quality supervisor for Lyra Health. “While adult therapy may explore abstract topics like life purpose, teen therapy may focus on tangible issues like academic stress, peer pressure, or body image.”

It’s usually helpful for parents to be involved in therapy for teens. If the child and parent can work toward a supportive, healthy relationship, parents often attend some teen counseling sessions. At a minimum, parents need to give consent for therapy (except in some states that allow children over a certain age to see therapists without parent consent).

Counselors for adolescents may use well-known therapies in different ways than with adults to address mental health symptoms, improve coping skills, and build self-confidence and resilience in teens. Some of these include:

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) – teaches teens to recognize how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are connected and ways to replace harmful ones with healthy ones.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) – helps teens manage intense emotions, increase  distress tolerance, navigate interpersonal challenges, and practice mindfulness.

Interpersonal therapy for Adolescents (IPT-A) – builds relationship skills by helping teens navigate social interactions, address conflicts, communicate more effectively, and build healthier connections with peers and family members.

Group therapy – a safe space to share experiences and learn from peers while addressing topics like social isolation, peer pressure, and relationship challenges.

Family therapy – focuses on improving family dynamics, relationships, communication styles, and conflicts.

Therapists may use specialized treatments for specific issues like trauma, disordered eating, or self-harm.

Online therapy for teens

An often unknown and misunderstood mode of therapy for teens includes online therapy. For some parents this approach to therapy may seem strange, especially if there’s a fear children are already spending too much time online. “The good news is research is really showing us that telehealth therapy is as effective as in person treatment,” said Dr. Lamminen. “Teenagers tend to adapt naturally to an online format given their comfort with technology, and this type of counseling for teens can also be more accessible for busy parents who would otherwise need to drive their child to counseling appointments.”

Benefits of teen counseling

It can be difficult to know how to help your teen while also supporting their natural quest for autonomy and self-discovery. Teen therapy helps by offering a supportive space that may feel more objective and less intrusive to their independence.

Therapists for teens help young people understand themselves better and see situations from different angles. Teens gain new perspectives on what’s troubling them, learn life skills, and begin to think more objectively, making it easier to manage school stress, peer pressure, academic pressure, or challenges with friends.

“Ultimately, the goal of teen therapy is to help them learn to navigate personal challenges in a healthy way,” said Dr. Lamminen. “So, for example, helping them work through depression or anxiety, while improving general well-being and self-esteem, and learning coping skills so that they can manage life stressors.”

The benefits of teen counseling also extend to families. The toll of supporting a child with mental health challenges affects parents’ well-being as well as their professional lives. One in three workers caring for children with mental health conditions experienced a decline in their own mental health in the last year—and without the right benefits to support their teen’s needs, over half are considering changing jobs, according to Lyra Health’s 2024 State of Workforce Mental Health report.

How do I know if my child needs teen counseling?

Signs your child may benefit from teen therapy include:

• Noticeable changes in behaviors, such as sudden loss of interest in hobbies or activities they used to love, spending more time in their room, or isolation from usual activities.
• Habits change, such as shifts in eating or sleeping patterns, including sudden changes in appetite or sleep disturbances.
• Constant worrying or feeling anxious or unusual displays of anger or tearfulness.
• Sadness, severe mood swings, or trouble concentrating.
• Frequent physical complaints (stomach hurts, headaches) not explained by a medical condition.
• Academic and social changes like declining grades or school engagement and a new set of friends from a completely different crowd that negatively impact your child’s academics or social life and don’t share their values and interests.
• Behavior clues like disordered eating, fixating on weight or appearance.
• Substance use.

Signs that your child needs immediate help are destructive patterns like self-harm, talk of suicide and any other behaviors that pose an imminent risk to their physical safety or the safety of others.

“In terms of early intervention, the sooner you can address an issue, the better” said Dr. Lamminen. “That way we can teach coping skills and strategies to manage that stressor so it doesn’t snowball into a bigger issue.”

What to expect in the first teen therapy session

It’s important to find a counselor who specializes in therapy for teens because they tailor treatment to young people’s cognitive, emotional, and social development. With the uptick in teen mental health issues, counselors for adolescents are in high demand and the wait times can be long. Check with your employer to see if you have mental health benefits through work. For example, with Lyra, teens can quickly access care from a network of over 6,000 child specialists. Lyra offers both in-person and online therapy for teens, with expert-guided videos and exercises between sessions to help teens feel better faster.

In the first teen counseling session, the counselor will spend time building rapport with your child. Your teen will have the chance to share their story, talk about what brings them to therapy, and set some goals for their journey ahead. Expect to spend some time completing paperwork and handling logistics like scheduling appointments.

“A therapist is focused on learning enough about the teen in the first session to collaboratively set goals for treatment,” said Dr. Lamminen. “A first session is more procedural as a therapist is required to gather consents from the teen and in most cases, their caregiver. It looks very different from follow-up sessions where your therapist will focus more on psychoeducation, processing, and skill-building,” said Dr. Lamminen.

Help your teen reach their full potential

Parenting teens isn’t easy, but it can also be rewarding. Taking proactive steps to address challenges not only prevents larger concerns but also cultivates growth, resilience, and greater joy for both your teen and your family.