Counselling for Youth & Teens
You and your teen may be noticing:
- Anxiety, worry, or feeling overwhelmed
- Low mood, irritability, or pulling away from others
- Difficulty managing strong emotions
- Stress related to school, friendships, or family
- Low confidence or harsh self-criticism
- Questions about identity, belonging or relationships
- Difficulty coping with change, loss, or stressful experiences
- Feeling stuck, disconnected, or unsure how to talk about what’s going on
Growing up can bring a lot of change – and sometimes young people need a space that fees like their own to make sense of what they’re experiencing
Counselling can give youth and teens a supportive, non-judgmental place to talk about what’s happening in their lives, understand their emotions and reactions, and develop ways of coping that feel realistic for them. Therapy is tailored to the individual young person, their needs, and what feels important to them.
We can support experiences including:
- Anxiety and stress
- Depression and low mood
- School and academic pressures
- Friendship and relationship challenges
- Family stress or conflict
- Self-esteem and confidence
- Identity and belonging
- Grief and loss
- Trauma and difficult experiences
- Life transitions and change
- Understanding emotions and nervous system responses
- Developing ways to manage stress and overwhelm
- Building confidence and self-understanding
- Strengthening communication and relationship skills
- Exploring identity, values, and what matters to them
- Learning ways to respond to difficult thoughts and emotions
- Building coping strategies that feel practical and useable in everyday life
A space where young people can feel heard.
Young people are often receiving advice, expectations, and feedback from many directions. Counselling can offer something different – a space where they can slow down, feel heard, and explore their experiences without pressure to have everything figured out.
Our therapists work collaboratively and adapt counselling to the age, personality, needs, and interests of each young person. Depending on what brings them to therapy, sessions may include conversation, practical strategies, nervous system regulation, or creative approaches.
When appropriate, parents and caregivers can also be important supports in the counselling process. Your therapist can talk with you about how to balance a young person’s need for privacy with helpful parental involvement and support.
Over time young people may begin to notice:
- Greater understanding of themselves and their emotions
- More confidence handling stressful situations
- Increased ability to communicate what they need
- More ways to manage anxiety, overwhelm, or strong emotions
- Greater self-compassion and confidence
- Stronger connections with people and activities that matter to them
Young people don’t need to have everything figured out before coming to counselling. Sometimes having a safe place to be heard, understood, and curious about what’s happening is an important place to begin.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if counselling might be helpful for my teen?
There doesn’t need to be a crisis or diagnosis for counselling to be helpful. You might consider reaching out if your teen seems increasingly anxious, withdrawn, overwhelmed, irritable, unhappy, or unlike themselves, or if stress is beginning to affect school, relationships, sleep, confidence, or everyday life.
Sometimes a young person simply wants a neutral person outside their family or social circle to talk with.
What if my teen doesn't want to come to counselling?
It’s difficult for therapy to feel useful if a young person feels forced to participate. Whenever possible, we want youth to have some choice and involvement in the decision.
A free consultation can sometimes help a parent determine whether counselling seems appropriate and how to approach the conversation. Youth are welcome to attend free consultations too!
Finding a therapist the young person feels comfortable with is an important part of the process.
Will parents know what their teen talks about in counselling?
Young people generally need some privacy in order to develop trust with their therapist. At the beginning of counselling, the therapist will explain confidentiality, its limits, and how communication with parents or caregivers will be handled.
When parent involvement would be helpful, the therapist can work collaboratively with the young person and family to determine what that might look like while respecting the therapeutic relationship.
What if my teen doesn't know what to talk about?
That’s completely okay and very common. Young people don’t need to arrive with a prepared list of problems or know exactly what they want from counselling.
The therapist can help get the conversation started, and the relationship can develop gradually. Sometimes the first goal is simply helping the young person feel comfortable enough to be themselves.
What happens in a counselling session with a teen?
Sessions vary depending on the young person. Some teens enjoy talking directly about what’s happening, while others engage more easily through practical exercises, creative activities, discussion of everyday experiences, or learning about how thoughts, emotions, and the nervous system work.
Counselling is adapted to each youth’s needs.
Can parents be involved in counselling?
Yes, when it is appropriate and helpful. The amount and type of parent or caregiver involvement will depend on the young person’s age, needs, circumstances, and the goals of counselling.
Your therapist can discuss this with you at the beginning and help determine an approach that supports both the young person and the family.
Ready to take the next step?
Whether you’re a young person looking for someone to talk to, or a parent wondering if counselling might help your teen, you’re welcome to book a free 15-minute consultation to ask questions and learn more.
Youth & teen counselling is offered by: