Connect with licensed Marriage & Family Therapists who specialize in adolescent counseling. Expert care for teens ages 13-17, available in-person and via telehealth across all 50 states.
Teen counseling, or adolescent therapy, is a form of psychotherapy tailored to the unique developmental, emotional, and relational challenges of teenagers ages 13 to 17. Adolescence is one of the most significant periods of human development — a time of rapid brain development, identity formation, shifting peer dynamics, and increasing autonomy. These are also the years when most mental health conditions first emerge.
Therapists who specialize in adolescents understand how to build trust with teenagers — who are often skeptical of adults and sensitive to being judged, lectured, or psychoanalyzed. Effective teen therapy meets adolescents where they are: with respect for their emerging autonomy, curiosity about their inner world, and a genuine interest in what matters to them. It is not a scaled-down version of adult therapy — it requires specialized training in adolescent development, communication styles, and the specific concerns teens face today.
Marriage and Family Therapists bring particular value to teen counseling because they understand the family system that adolescents are simultaneously separating from and depending on. A teenager's struggles rarely exist in isolation — they are embedded in family patterns, parenting dynamics, and the relationships that shape a teen's developing sense of self. MFTs can work with teens individually while also supporting parents and the family system as a whole.
Teen therapists use approaches specifically validated for adolescents — not simply adult therapies applied to younger clients.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy adapted for teens is the gold-standard approach for adolescents struggling with emotional dysregulation, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. DBT-A teaches four core skill sets: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness — with a family component that helps parents reinforce skills at home.
CBT for adolescents adapts cognitive restructuring and behavioral strategies to the developmental level and concerns of teenagers. It is particularly effective for teen anxiety, depression, phobias, and OCD, using techniques tailored to how teens think — with more emphasis on peer relationships, identity, and the unique cognitive distortions common in adolescence.
Motivational Interviewing is especially well-suited to adolescents because it is non-confrontational and honors the teen's own autonomy and ambivalence. Rather than telling a teen what to do, MI helps them explore their own values and motivations — making it particularly effective for substance use, eating concerns, school refusal, and therapy-resistant adolescents.
Family Systems Therapy recognizes that an adolescent's symptoms are often expressions of dynamics within the family system. By working with the teen and parents together — examining communication patterns, roles, and relational dynamics — this approach creates change in the entire system, not just the identified teen.
One of the most common questions parents have about teen therapy is: what will the therapist tell me? The answer is shaped by law, ethics, and good clinical practice — and understanding it is important for setting realistic expectations.
Teenagers have a legal right to confidentiality in therapy in most states, just as adults do. This confidentiality is essential — adolescents are significantly less likely to open up in therapy if they believe their parents will hear everything they say. A teen who trusts their therapist is a teen who can do real work.
That said, confidentiality is not absolute. There are clear situations where a therapist is required by law to break confidentiality and inform parents or authorities. Outside of these exceptions, what happens in session stays in session — but most teen therapists communicate openly with parents about general progress, recommendations, and how to best support the teen at home, without sharing the specific content of sessions.
Showing 6 of 5,200+ verified teen therapists
LMFT, PhD · 17 Years Experience
Austin, TX · In-Person & Telehealth
Dr. Beaumont specializes in DBT for adolescents, with extensive experience treating teens who self-harm, struggle with intense emotional swings, or have been through multiple treatment settings. She is trained in DBT-A and sees both individual teens and runs a multi-family skills group for parents and adolescents together. She works with teens 13-17 and college-age young adults.
Insurance: Aetna, United Healthcare, Cigna, BCBS Texas
LMFT · 10 Years Experience
Seattle, WA · In-Person & Telehealth
Andre is known for his ability to genuinely connect with resistant, therapy-skeptical teens. He uses CBT and Motivational Interviewing to help adolescents explore their own values and build self-awareness without feeling lectured. He specializes in Black and mixed-race teens navigating identity, racial stress, and family expectations — and has a deep respect for what it takes to be a teenager today.
Insurance: Premera, Regence, Aetna, Out-of-Network Superbills
LMFT, MA · 8 Years Experience
Los Angeles, CA · Telehealth Only
Jessica specializes in LGBTQ+ teen therapy, with a particular focus on queer and trans adolescents navigating identity, family acceptance, school environments, and mental health. She provides an affirming, non-pathologizing space where teens can explore their identity freely. She also supports parents of LGBTQ+ teens who are learning how to offer the kind of acceptance that research shows makes the biggest difference in their teen's wellbeing.
Insurance: Anthem Blue Cross, Kaiser CA, Blue Shield, Out-of-Network
LMFT · 13 Years Experience
Miami, FL · In-Person & Telehealth
Gabriel works with teen boys and young men navigating depression, substance use, family conflict, and the particular pressures of masculine identity development. He uses a strengths-based, direct style that adolescent males often respond to more readily than traditional therapeutic approaches. He is bilingual in English and Spanish and deeply understands Latin American family dynamics.
Insurance: United Healthcare, Cigna, Molina, Ambetter FL
LMFT · 11 Years Experience
Chicago, IL · In-Person & Telehealth
Cora specializes in eating disorders, body image distress, and perfectionism in adolescent girls. She uses CBT and Family Systems approaches to address disordered eating in the context of the family and peer dynamics that often shape it. She works closely with pediatricians and nutritionists to provide coordinated, whole-person care for teens and their families.
Insurance: BCBS Illinois, Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare
LMFT, MS · 9 Years Experience
Fremont, CA · In-Person & Telehealth
Parveen specializes in academic anxiety, high-achievement pressure, and the unique mental health stressors facing South Asian and immigrant-family teens — perfectionism, parental expectations, bicultural identity conflict, and the pressure to be simultaneously "American enough" and "traditional enough." She combines CBT with family systems work to help teens and their parents build mutual understanding.
Insurance: Anthem, Kaiser CA, Aetna, Blue Shield CA
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Signs that a teenager may benefit from therapy include: persistent sadness, irritability, or mood changes lasting more than two weeks; significant withdrawal from friends, family, or activities they used to enjoy; declining grades or school refusal; sleep or appetite changes; talk of hopelessness or worthlessness; self-harm; increased conflict at home; substance use; or signs of an eating disorder. You do not need to wait for a crisis — if your teen is struggling and your efforts to help have not worked, reaching out to a teen-specialized therapist is a wise next step.
Therapists are required to maintain confidentiality for teenage clients in most states, just as they do for adults. Confidentiality is essential — teens are far less likely to open up if they believe their parents will hear everything. The mandatory exceptions include: a teen discloses plans to harm themselves or others, or if there is evidence of abuse or neglect. Outside of these legal exceptions, the specific content of sessions remains private. Most teen therapists keep parents informed about general progress and recommendations without sharing the details of what the teen discusses.
Teen resistance is common and usually not permanent. Involve the teen in choosing the therapist — adolescents respond well to having some agency in the process. Explain what therapy actually involves rather than leaving it mysterious. Look for a therapist with a reputation for connecting with reluctant teens. Avoid ultimatums or framing therapy as punishment. Some teens agree to a "one-time conversation" that ends up being more comfortable than expected. If a teen is in immediate danger, access crisis resources regardless of consent.
This varies by age, the presenting concern, and the therapeutic model. For younger adolescents (13-14), more parental involvement is often appropriate. For older teens (15-17), individual sessions with separate parent check-ins tend to be more effective. Many therapists use a hybrid model: individual sessions with the teen, plus periodic family sessions or parent meetings. Family sessions focused on communication and mutual understanding can be particularly valuable when parent-teen conflict is part of what brought the teen to therapy.
Yes, and many teens actually prefer it. The comfort of their own space, the reduction in stigma, and the convenience can all increase a teen's willingness to engage. Research supports telehealth as effective for adolescent depression, anxiety, and most teen concerns. Some presentations — active eating disorders requiring medical monitoring, or intensive substance use treatment — may warrant in-person care. But for the majority of adolescent mental health needs, telehealth is an excellent option that many teens find more accessible than a traditional office setting.