A Welcome Message for Worried Parents:

If your teen is making you crazy, you've come to the right place for real help! You've found a Teen Whisperer.

Teens are in a difficult and critical stage of development. There is much at stake for their futures, during a time when they are often feeling confused, disillusioned, alienated from their families and alone.

They can act impulsively and make mistakes that cause them great pain—sometimes for years to come—during this time in their lives when they are trying so desperately to figure things out.

They are often experiencing confusion about who they are, whom they can trust, what they want, and what comes next. This can make them confusing to be around and a real pain, when they lash out at caregivers in their hurt and anger.

And meanwhile...you are terrified. Your kid is pushing you away and hurting. You don't know what to do or how to make it better. Everything you try and everything you say just seems to make it worse. You love your teen desperately.

Sometimes, you just want to scream because your kid is criticizing you, and shutting you out, and hurting your feelings, and melting-down, and doing foolish, sneaky, or dangerous things. Nobody’s in control—that’s a scary situation. You may feel like you're drowning or floundering at sea. It's just plain awful!

There is Hope!

Take a deep breath....This is all probably fairly normal and salvageable. You can all make it through to the other side alive and well. Counseling can help you navigate these treacherous waters. Lots of progress can be made, when you introduce an expert outside sounding board, to keep you company and keep you sane. You need someone to maintain some objectivity and balance as you sort it all out.

It can be difficult for adolescents to balance their developmental need to individuate from parents, with their need for support and guidance. Sometimes, they really need a non-parental adult for feedback. I work hard to be a person your teen can trust, talk to, and respect.

So, I'll tell you up front: This means I will NOT tell you things your teen tells me in confidence, even about sex, or pregnancy, or experimental substance use, or stealing, or lying, or mildly self-destructive behavior—unless someone's being abused, or a life is in imminent danger—what your teen tells me when we are alone does not leave that room. This is essential to building the trust your teen needs to have in me, so that I can help.

I make it a priority to build bridges between family members—so your teen can talk to you directly about things. I will include you in the therapy process and help you reach your teen. I hope I can be a trusted ally to both sides, as your family negotiates this remarkable, complicated stage of development.

I believe that happiness, closeness and understanding can be found at the end of this voyage upon which we are embarking. Things will get better. Together, we've got this.