The teenage and adolescent years are a unique time in life when we go through physical changes, navigate high-stakes social situations, crave independence from parents, and make decisions about drugs, sex, driving, and college/career pressures.
Adolescence is a time when you are no longer a child but are not quite an independent adult. It can be frustrating and complicated to navigate this shifting boundary and find appropriate ways to gain responsibility and trust.
Are power struggles and constant arguments happening in your house about homework, curfew, or school anxiety? Has divorce lead to acting out behavior that is out of control?
As a high school social worker and coach I work with teenagers on a daily basis and truly enjoy the experience of working with young adults as they grow and mature. There is nothing that I have not seen or heard from a teenager and can handle whatever topics are brought up in Therapy. As a neutral third party I am able to avoid the power struggles and arguments that can damage the relationship between teenager and parent when trying to work through difficult situations.
In addition to working at multiple high schools, I have also been a Therapist at several residential treatment facilities helping teens and families work through significant emotional and behavioral challenges. Given all of the changes during these years it is critical for young adults to have a trusting relationship with a Therapist that is confident and utilizes healthy and safe boundaries. The therapeutic relationship should be a model for other relationships in adulthood and that means that it is an open and safe environment where teens can ask questions and receive answers without fear of judgment and in a safe space.
It is important for teens and their parents to know that I take my work seriously and know how to have fun during sessions. Laughter is often the best medicine and there are many lessons that can be learned from the lens of humor and sarcasm because we are all human beings trying to figure things out for ourselves and will make mistakes along the way. The important thing is to find avenues to talk about these mistakes in a supportive way so that we learn from them (not just tune out when it feels like a ‘lecture) and develop strategies to do better the next time or how to communicate with the adults in your life so that they can help too.
Schedule a FREE 20min Phone Consultation Today!
Dr Dan Sneider-Cotter, LCSW, Ed.D.
Call or Text │904-449-7061
DrDan@growthandgratitudetherapy.com