Teen therapy
Expert Mental Health Support for Teenagers at Light Within Counseling
Teen therapy offers adolescents a safe, judgment-free space to navigate the complex challenges of growing up, from managing intense emotions to building identity and preparing for the future. At Light Within Counseling, our group practice specializes in helping teens ages 12-18 develop the resilience, self-awareness, and coping skills they need to thrive during these transformative years.
Adolescence can feel overwhelming. Between academic pressures, social dynamics, identity exploration, and planning for the future, it’s no wonder so many teens struggle with stress, anxiety, or feelings of being lost. Teen therapy provides the support and guidance adolescents need during this pivotal time, helping them build confidence and discover their authentic selves.
The teenage years are marked by significant changes—physically, emotionally, and socially. Your teen may be experiencing mood swings, withdrawing from family and friends, or showing signs of anxiety or depression. Perhaps they’re struggling with self-esteem, facing peer pressure, or having difficulty managing academic stress. These challenges are real, and professional support can make all the difference in helping your teen navigate them successfully.
Why Teens Benefit from Therapy
Many teenagers resist the idea of therapy at first, and many parents wonder if it’s truly necessary. The reality is that therapy during adolescence can be life-changing, providing teens with tools they’ll use throughout adulthood. Teens who engage in therapy often experience:
Improved Emotional Regulation: Adolescence brings intense emotions that can feel impossible to control. Therapy helps teens understand what they’re feeling and why, and gives them practical strategies to manage everything from everyday stress to more serious anxiety or depression.
Stronger Sense of Identity: The teen years are all about figuring out who you are. Therapy provides a space to explore values, interests, and goals without judgment, helping teens develop authentic confidence in themselves.
Better Communication Skills: Many teens struggle to express what’s really going on beneath the surface. We help adolescents articulate their thoughts and feelings in healthy ways, improving relationships with family and peers.
Enhanced Problem-Solving Abilities: Life gets more complex during the teen years. Therapy teaches critical thinking and decision-making skills that help teens navigate challenges independently.
Academic and Future Planning Support: From managing school stress to thinking about life after high school, therapy can help teens develop strategies that align with their goals and aspirations.
Healthier Relationships: Whether it’s family conflict, friendship drama, or romantic relationships, therapy helps teens understand relationship dynamics and develop skills for healthy connections.
Signs Your Teen May Need Therapy
It can be difficult to distinguish between typical teenage behavior and signs that professional help would be beneficial. Consider reaching out if your teen is experiencing:
- Persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or emptiness
- Excessive worry, panic attacks, or avoidance of situations due to anxiety
- Social withdrawal or isolation from friends and family
- Significant changes in eating or sleeping patterns
- Declining academic performance or loss of interest in school
- Increased irritability, anger outbursts, or aggressive behavior
- Talk of self-harm or suicidal thoughts
- Substance use or risky behaviors
- Difficulty coping with major life changes like divorce, loss, or moving
- Obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors that interfere with daily life
- Trauma symptoms following a difficult experience
- Struggles with body image or disordered eating patterns
If you’re noticing these patterns, know that seeking help is a sign of strength. Early intervention can prevent struggles from escalating and can equip your teen with skills that will benefit them for a lifetime.
Our Approach to Teen Therapy
At Light Within Counseling, we understand that teenagers need therapists who genuinely get them. Our team of younger therapists, mostly in their 30s, brings both relatability and advanced training in evidence-based treatments. We’re not here to talk at teens—we’re here to listen, understand, and work collaboratively toward their goals.
A Collaborative Partnership: Unlike therapy for younger children, teen therapy is built on a partnership between the therapist and the adolescent. We respect teens as individuals capable of insight and change. Your teen’s voice matters, and we’ll work together to identify what they want from therapy and how to get there.
Evidence-Based Treatment: Depending on your teen’s needs, we utilize proven therapeutic approaches including:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps teens identify and change unhelpful thought patterns that contribute to anxiety, depression, or behavioral issues
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): A powerful approach for processing trauma without requiring teens to repeatedly describe traumatic experiences
- Brainspotting: An effective trauma treatment that helps teens access and heal deep emotional pain
- Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): The gold-standard treatment for OCD and related disorders
- Substance Abuse Therapy: Specialized support for teens struggling with addiction or substance use
Confidentiality and Trust: We understand that trust is essential for effective teen therapy. While we maintain appropriate boundaries and keep parents informed of general progress, teens need to know they have a confidential space to be honest about what’s really going on. We’ll discuss confidentiality limits clearly with both you and your teen from the start.
Family Involvement When Helpful: We take a systemic approach, recognizing that family dynamics impact teen well-being. Depending on the situation, we may recommend family therapy sessions or offer parenting support. Our goal is to improve communication and understanding between teens and parents while respecting your teen’s growing independence.
What We Treat
Our team has specialized training in addressing the issues teens commonly face:
- Anxiety Disorders: Generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, phobias, and performance anxiety
- OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder): Intrusive thoughts and compulsive rituals that disrupt daily life
- Depression: Persistent sadness, loss of interest, hopelessness, or thoughts of self-harm
- Trauma and PTSD: Processing abuse, assault, accidents, or other traumatic experiences
- Grief and Loss: Coping with death, significant changes, or other losses
- Relationship Issues: Family conflict, friendship problems, or romantic relationship struggles
- Identity Exploration: Questions about sexual orientation, gender identity, or life direction
- Self-Esteem and Body Image: Building confidence and developing a healthy relationship with oneself
- Academic Stress: Managing school pressure, test anxiety, or performance concerns
- Substance Use: Addressing experimentation, abuse, or addiction
- Life Transitions: Adjusting to changes like divorce, moving, or preparing for college
Getting Started: The Process
We know that reaching out for therapy can feel intimidating, especially for teens. We’ve designed our intake process to be as comfortable and straightforward as possible.
You can self-schedule directly with one of our therapists using our online scheduling system, or reach out by phone, text, email, or contact form. Our coordinator will help match your teen with a therapist whose personality and expertise align with their needs.
Before the first session, you’ll complete online paperwork including consent forms and background information. This helps us understand your teen’s history and what brings them to therapy.
The First Session: The intake session is all about building connection and understanding what’s going on. We’ll typically spend part of the session with parents and part individually with your teen. This allows us to hear both perspectives while beginning to establish the private, trusting relationship that’s essential for teen therapy. We’ll explore current challenges, identify strengths, and begin setting goals. You can expect a compassionate, non-judgmental atmosphere where both you and your teen feel heard.
Ongoing Therapy: Once care is established, sessions become focused and goal-oriented. Your teen’s therapist will create a personalized treatment plan using approaches tailored to their specific needs. We don’t believe in surface-level band-aid solutions—our commitment is to help teens get to the root of issues so they can experience deep and lasting change.
Sessions are structured yet flexible, always responsive to what your teen needs that week. We check in regularly on progress, celebrate wins, and adjust goals as your teen grows. Whether we’re addressing trauma, teaching anxiety management skills, or working on relationship issues, you can count on us to be honest, compassionate, and fully invested in your teen’s healing.
Serving Teens in Roseville and Beyond
Light Within Counseling provides in-person teen therapy at our Roseville, CA office, conveniently serving families from Granite Bay, Rocklin, Loomis, and Lincoln. We also offer online therapy throughout California for teens who prefer virtual sessions or who live further away.
Why Teens and Families Choose Us
Families throughout the Roseville area trust our group practice with their teenagers’ mental health for important reasons. We’re not a treatment center—we’re a therapy office providing personalized outpatient care in a comfortable, welcoming environment.
Our therapists are relatable and down-to-earth, making it easy for teens to open up. We’re young enough to understand teen culture and communication styles, yet experienced enough to provide expert treatment. We genuinely care about your teen’s well-being and take the time to understand their unique situation, challenges, and goals.
What sets us apart is our advanced training in treating anxiety disorders and trauma—the issues that most commonly bring teens to therapy. We use highly effective, evidence-based approaches that actually work, not just talk therapy that goes in circles. We’re skilled at what we do, but we never make teens feel judged or talked down to. We believe therapy doesn’t have to be intimidating—it should feel empowering, hopeful, and maybe even a little bit cool.
Every treatment plan is personalized because we know that what works for one teen won’t work for another. We celebrate individuality and meet each teen exactly where they are.
Insurance and Scheduling Information
Light Within Counseling works with out-of-network benefits. For specific information about pricing and scheduling, please reach out directly to our office. We’re happy to answer questions and help you understand your options.
Invest in Your Teen’s Future
Adolescence shapes who your teen will become as an adult. The skills, insights, and self-awareness they develop now will impact their relationships, career, and overall life satisfaction for years to come. If your teen is struggling, don’t wait—therapy can be the support system that changes everything.
Our compassionate, skilled therapists are here to help your teen build confidence, develop healthy coping strategies, and navigate this challenging phase with resilience and hope. Whether they’re dealing with anxiety, processing trauma, or simply trying to figure out who they are, we’re here to walk alongside them.
Contact Light Within Counseling today to schedule teen therapy in Roseville, CA. Let’s work together to empower your teen to face life’s challenges with clarity, strength, and confidence.
Light Within Counseling
970 Reserve Drive, Roseville, California 95678, United States
Info@lightwithinlmft.org