Navigating the Teen Mind: 8 Tips for Therapists

Article by: Denver therapist, Molly Ward

For some therapists, the idea of working with teens may seem daunting. Teens are at a unique developmental stage that comes with identity exploration, boundary pushing, and at times risky behavior.

As therapists, we need to understand the nuances and unique challenges of being a teen in order to effectively engage with them in therapy.

With a reported 20% of teens struggling with some sort of mental health issue (most likely an under reported number), learning the best ways to help teens engage in therapy and keep coming back is imperative. Below are 8 tips to help therapists’ providing therapy for teens.

8 Tips to Help Therapists Work with Teens

1.Emphasize Confidentiality & Other Boundaries

The therapist-teen relationship is unique as it is a rare opportunity where a teen can be honest about things going on in their life without big reactions or consequences. For this reason, teens can approach therapy with some skepticism.

Read More: “7 Tips for Talking With Teens About Marijuana Use (and the Reasons You Should”

They can fear that information will be shared with their parents, advice and solutions will be given without asking, or they will feel shame for their thoughts, feelings or behaviors. 

When providing counseling for teens, be clear about exactly what confidentiality looks like.

Give examples about things that they can share, such as thoughts of suicide or use of substances, what it might look like to have others involved, and things that may be reportable.

Make it clear that they are your client, not their parents or guardians, and confidentiality is the most important part of your relationship.

Also, be clear about what your role is as a therapist and how it might differ from other relationships in their life so that expectations in therapy can be clear.

2. Give Them the Power to Be in Charge of Their Space

Empowering teens to take charge of their therapy experience can be a key trust builder.

Remind them that they are the ones consenting to treatment, not the other people in their life. Learn how they want to use the space and what’s important to them – not what you think should be discussed.

Allow them to swear if they want to swear, always ask what can be communicated with parents, and don’t push worksheets if that’s not what they’re asking for. 

Another way to empower teens to be in charge of their space is to support them in developing their own therapeutic goals.

When the teen sees that you want to know what they are intrinsically motivated for and will meet them where they are at, they will be more like to want to come back to therapy and engage long term.

3. Work with Parents and Other Systems in Their Life

Teens are at a unique stage where they are building autonomy and independence, but still need support from family.

Explain the importance of releases of information and strive to involve others in the therapeutic experience to give you a greater understanding of the system that the teen is coming from and better support them.

Contrary to popular belief, a lot of teens really do want parental involvement to some degree.

In my therapeutic work, I always encourage the teen to allow a parent or guardian to join the first session in order to increase connection and support for the teen’s struggles.

It also helps to gain a greater understanding of dynamics that could be impacting them.

From there, you can encourage check-ins with family in order to support with decreasing any burden the teen might have of managing concerns alone, and to increase support outside of the therapeutic setting and for the future.

The same can be said for working with anyone else in their life who may be supporting them, such as school counselors, coaches, prescribers, primary care physicians/pediatricians, etc.

By collaborating with these systems, you can learn key information that the teen may not be noticing or disclosing, and can foster a more comprehensive approach to addressing the teen’s needs.

4. Use Your Active Listening Skills and Don’t Jump to Solutions

The well known principle of resisting the urge to provide immediate solutions or advice is of the upmost importance with teens.

It can be hard to not redirect teens or give advice regarding some of the risky behavior they may share, but this is a natural part of development, and having a safe space to explore their behaviors without shame is the best thing you can do as their therapist.

Typically, they are used to other adults in their life judging their behaviors or giving them unsolicited advice. They don’t need that righting-reflex to show up in their therapy experience too.

Validation and understanding are your most important therapeutic tools.

5. Ask Direct Questions

Don’t be vague when asking questions about some of the behaviors they engage in.

Be specific and offer examples when exploring substance use, their relationship with food and their body, thoughts of suicide, self-harm, sex, etc.

Teens are sometimes expected to offer up intimate information about their life freely, but unless prompted are often not going to share details of some of these harder topics.

Asking these direct questions also tells your teen clients “I can handle this” and can be another way to build trust.

6. Provide Psychoeducation

Read More: “5 Ways Vaping Impacts Teens’ and Young Adults’ Mental Health”

As we know, teen’s brains are not fully developed, and the executive functioning part of their brain is impacted greatly.

This means teens are more likely to make impulsive or risky decisions or engage in risky behavior without thinking of long term consequences.

Our goal as teen therapists is not necessarily to stop these risky behaviors or control anything, but we can provide psycho-education to help them make informed decisions.

The more information they can have, especially from a professional, the more they can work on developing this part of their brain and make decisions that are aligned with their values.

7. Be Yourself

Authenticity is key in building a connection with teens.

Trying to act “cool” will show up as inauthentic and will create distrust and disrupt the therapeutic work.

Teens are perceptive and can quickly sense when someone is not being genuine.

Being authentic will allow for a more trusting therapeutic relationship and open opportunity for deeper work.

8. Have Snacks

When in doubt, always have snacks nearby. It can be the way to the hearts of the teens that might not be motivated for therapy and is a subtle way to break down barriers.

Having snacks also provides an opportunity to talk more about their relationship to food and their body.

It can also be an opportunity to engage in some mindfulness skills.

Working with teens requires a unique approach that balances empathy, respect, and understanding.

It may feel intimidating given their unique developmental stage, and you might not stand every word in their vocabulary 😉

But by implementing these 8 tips, therapists can create a safe and supportive environment, helping teens navigate the challenges of adolescence with resilience and self-discovery.

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Denver Therapist, Molly Ward

Molly is a teen therapist at Denver Metro Counseling. She loves working with teens, and their families as they navigate this transitional time in life.

In addition to individual teen therapy and family therapy for teens, Molly also runs a 6-week teen girls’ group that focuses on overall wellness.

Her group covers hot topics teen girls face like peer pressure, balancing social media, education on substances and how to make healthy choices, learning how to use their own voice, being clear on their values, exploring their relationship with food, movement and their body.

If you are a therapist who works with teens or are just getting started as a teen therapist, and you’d like to learn more from Molly, Molly also offers consultation.

Molly is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Licensed Addictions Counselor, family therapist and individual therapist. She helps people age 14 and older navigate life from a trauma-informed and wellness perspective.

Find Molly on Instagram and on DMC’s website on her page here.

To learn more about working with Molly or one of our other Denver therapists, reach out.