Working with teens - what information will be shared to parents?

As an experience child & adolescent psychotherapist, I’ve developed a system for how I work and communicate the important information to parents. As a parent myself, I also understand how adults may wish to know the details of their child’s mental wellbeing. However, I ask that parents allow their child/teen to attend therapy once a week for four weeks. During this time I ask that you don’t ask lots of questions about the therapy to your child, instead remind them that therapy is their space to talk about whatever they choose. Try to take the pressure off from seeing change right away, despite how difficult things might feel.

These first four sessions are all about building a therapeutic relationship, I am learning what is important to your child and how to support them. They too are learning how to engage with me for us to actually do the work.

This can be difficult for parents who care deeply about their child, so please feel free to send me updates via email to share any observations or updates on your child during this time. Just know, that due to confidentiality I may only respond briefly to acknowledge your email.

After these four sessions, your child will invite you back into the therapy room (virtually or in person) to share the key topics they’ve been working on. I always ask them to share two things.

1. What they’ve been working on themselves

2. What they could really use your help with

After this, we’ll decide together how often they should continue therapy and if any changes to our working relationship need to happen.

And if your open to it, this would be a great time to also begin your own therapy journey. It sends a message to your child that they are not the problem. This is a family system and everyone is responsible for developing their own growth, healing and emotional regulation.