Adolescent Therapy
“To feel intensely is not a symptom of weakness, it is the trademark of the truly alive and compassionate. Those who are at times described as being a ‘hot mess’ or having ‘too many issues’ are the very fabric of what keeps the dream alive for a more caring, humane world.”Anthon St. Maarten
We specialize in working with teens who have great sensitivity to the world around them.Most of the teenagers we work with haven’t figured out that their sensitivity is their superpower. They pick up on more emotional and social information than most peers — noticing when they walk into a room and someone looks away, feeling the anxiety of the person sitting next to them in class — and as a result, they actually feel more. It’s as if most people are tuned to a single radio station, while they’re taking in fifteen at a time. Sensitive teens have to manage all of this on top of social media and the ordinary work of being a teenager, while trying to figure out their place in the world. In short, they experience more and it makes life harder for them.
But the good news is it can also be more rewarding. Teens with this superpower tend to be exceptionally bright and caring, and they want to “do the right thing,” to be good people. The outside world doesn’t understand how much they suffer. And they want a therapist who will talk with them, who will help them rather than just sit passively and listen.
They also have pronounced internal critics (What is wrong with me? Why did I get that question wrong?) that act as their own personal bullies. We help teens understand and work with their superpower so they can use it for good, learning to respect their own way of being, to cope with strong emotions, to filter the flood of information coming at them, and to stay safe by setting good boundaries.
“The reward for conformity is that everybody likes you except yourself.”Rita Mae BrownPssst…
You like to be listened to — but you also want a therapist who will actually talk with you. These years are all about learning. More than in any other period of your life, you’re taking in huge amounts of information every single day. (Just think about how much you’ve changed in the last three years alone.) So you probably want someone who can help you synthesize all of it — a framework to make sense of what’s happening to you, and around you.
You want to do well. But you’ve already got a harsh inner critic, right? Probably echoing the worst aspects of a very well-intentioned parent. And lately it’s grown bolder — a little bully whose whole job is to get you to do the right thing, and it’s relentless. Here’s the thing: that critic actually served a purpose. But it’s time to get that voice to soften a little — so you can start to enjoy doing what you want for yourself.
Anxiety, identity, ADHD, and the relational complexity of adolescence. Particular strength in the 15–18 range.
Looking for a therapist for your teenager?After-school hour availability is limited.
In-person in Cambridge and Wenham · Teletherapy in MA, CT, NH, VT & FL
