Frequently Asked Questions by Teens

What can I talk about?

Absolutely anything. If you think and feel it – we can and want to hear it.

Therapy is a non-judgmental, accepting space where you can show up as yourself – each and every part of you is welcome. You can talk about silly or fun stuff, like a funny story from your week, your favourite show, or something that made you laugh. You can also talk about the harder stuff – stress about your future, something you wish you could say to a family member or friend, or the thoughts and feelings that sometimes bring you to tears.

You don’t have to have everything figured out before you come in and you definitely don’t need to know exactly what to talk about. Sometimes you might arrive to a session, sit down, and just see where the conversation goes.

Can my parents be involved?

Absolutely. We know that parent involvement is fundamental to teens being well, and so we invite their involvement in any way you’re comfortable with. This can look different for everyone and your therapist will always get your permission before sharing information with your parents.

Parent involvement does not mean your therapist will share details of what you talk about in sessions. Rather, parent involvement might be talking about how therapy is going generally, telling them about skills and strategies you’re learning so they can help you practice, or giving parents some skills of their own to help them support you best. You and your therapist may invite your parents in to join for some sessions (a part of the session or the whole thing) or your therapist meeting with your parents alone for “parent sessions.”

It can also look a bit like family therapy, where you, your therapist, and your parents can meet all together to talk about things. These kinds of sessions can feel a little awkward at first, but are really helpful to improve communication and understanding between teens and their parents.

What happens in the first session?

The first therapy session is all about getting to know one another and introducing you to the therapy process. Your therapist will guide the conversation as little or as much as you need. They want to get to know about all the aspects of your life that are important to you. They will ask about your family, friends, school life, home life, hobbies and interests. They’ll also ask about what challenges you’ve been having that brought you to therapy. Together, you’ll start to identify your hopes and goals for therapy.

During the first session, your therapist may also talk with you about what to expect in therapy. They might share with you about how they work and different things you can try or experience in therapy. They can also answer any questions you have.

What’s online therapy like?

During online therapy, you meet with your therapist through a secure video call instead of going to see them in-person at their office. The therapy itself is the same – you do all the therapy things, just from wherever you feel most comfortable. You can talk, laugh, cry, work through challenges and learn new skills.

For some teens, online therapy can actually feel easier. You get to be in your own space, don’t have to worry about getting to an office, and it can feel a little more comfortable to open up and talk about personal things from somewhere familiar. It also makes fitting therapy into a busy schedule a lot easier.

Online therapy is a good option if you have access to a private space, feel comfortable talking over video, or find it easier to open up from the comfort of your own home. Online therapy may not be the best fit for you if you don’t have private space at home, find video calls or being on your device distracting, or if you just feel more comfortable talking to someone face-to-face.

Will my parents know what we talk about in therapy?

Our therapists value building trust with you and they respect your right to privacy and confidentiality. Your conversations and the details of what you share stay between you and your therapist. You deserve to have a space to talk openly and honestly, without having to worry that everything you say will be repeated back to someone else.

We also know that parent support is fundamental to helping teens be well. At times, teens may want their therapist’s help communicating something to their parents. Other times, parents want to be involved in some way because they deeply want to understand what’s going on for their teen. In either case, your therapist will ask your permission before sharing information with your parents and will speak with you first about what you’re comfortable having shared. This might look like your therapist talking to your parents generally about how therapy is going, sharing ideas and skills with your parents about how they can support you best, or arranging a family session to talk through some things together. Most importantly – you get a say in this and information won’t be shared without your consent.

With that being said – there are some important exceptions, and they have to do with safety. If your therapist is seriously concerned about your safety or someone else’s safety, they may need to involve a parent or other professionals to make sure everyone is safe. Your therapist will always do their best to talk with you about this first.

If you’re worried about what a parent might find out, you can ask your therapist at any time.

What if I don’t know what to say?

Then you are not alone. It’s so common for teens (and adults, too!) to come in and not know where to start or how to talk about what they’re experiencing. This is actually a common reason people come to therapy in the first place – “I don’t feel OK but I don’t know why or what’s wrong.” Therapists are really used to this and it’s no reason to be embarrassed or to not come for therapy.

Therapy is a safe space to start to explore your thoughts and feelings, find some language to help express yourself and understand what it is that’s going on for you. Together with your therapist, you are helped to understand and make sense of your internal world. Therapists may use tools to help with this, such as a “feelings wheel”, creative writing, artistic expression, movement, or other conversation and talk-based approaches.