Support for Therapists Working With Teens
Working with teens is a passion and a privilege, but it can feel hard to get the support you need.
If you support teens who are neurodivergent, fat, Black, Brown, Indigenous, or Asian, and LGBTQIA+ finding helpful consultation can feel even harder!
That’s where I come in.
Working with teens is the best. Until it’s not.
Here’s what most trainings miss.
Teens are subjugated in a way few other client populations are. They do not have the same autonomy as adults so their work in therapy can look very different. That’s before adding any other marginalized identities into the mix.
If a training or consultation doesn’t take that into account it misses the mark, leaving you and often your client out in the cold.
As much as you love this work, doing it alone is just plain overwhelming.
You shouldn’t have to do this alone, and you don’t. I’m here to help.
“Healing doesn't happen in isolation. It happens in community."
— Tarana Burke
The push and pull
Working with teens is never just working with teens. Caregivers and adults (teachers, coaches, family friends) bring their own challenges along with them.
You feel this push and pull constantly when supporting your teen clients and working with the adults in their lives.
This affects every area of what makes working with teens challenging.
Where it shows up
Quiet Sessions with Teens.
Are they bored, do they even want to be here? How do you engage them?
Teen Secrecy and Safety.
When do you break confidentiality? How do you avoid harming the relationship?
Supporting Teen Autonomy.
How do you balance teen autonomy and self-advocacy and caregivers who might not agree?
What I offer
Consultation that actually names the hard parts. The parent sessions that go sideways, the teens who won't talk, the risk assessments that keep you up at night. No generic advice.
No one-size-fits-all formulas. Just real support for real therapists and group practices.
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For individual therapists who want case-specific support or ongoing consultation. You bring the de-identified case; I bring an intersectional liberation oriented perspective.
Staffing quiet or disconnected teens
Navigating confidentiality with parents (including mandated reporting gray areas)
Adapting your favorite modalities for neurodivergent, fat, Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Asian teens
Risk assessment and safety planning you can actually use
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Live virtual or in-person training customized to your team's specific needs. We plan this together to make sure it covers everything you need!
"The Parent-Teen Tightrope: Balancing Confidentiality and Collaboration"
"When Teens Don't Talk: Engagement Strategies That Actually Work"
"Adapting Intake and Documentation for Affirming Teen Care"
"Supporting Neurodivergent and Fat Teens Without Pathologizing"
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Keynotes, workshops, and panels for conferences, retreats, and continuing education events.
"The Subjugation of Teens: What Every Therapist Needs to Name"
"Autonomy vs. Safety: Clinical Decision-Making With Marginalized Teens"
"Consultation Isn't Working: Why Teen Therapists Need Something Different"
