IN-PERSON AND ONLINE ACROSS CALIFORNIA
Teen Therapy in Gold River, CA
Offering neurodivergent teens support that is individualized, concrete, and respectful of how they process the world.
The transition to young adulthood is weighing on your mind.
Your teen is funny, intelligent, and thoughtful. As a parent, you think the world of them and you want to see them thrive. You also know how anxious they can get when things change, during transitions, or when they’re adjusting to additional responsibilities. You may have stayed up late to help with homework they just couldn’t get started on until the deadline got a little too close.
Maybe you’ve watched your teen try to navigate relationships, feeling left out, or being misunderstood and wished you could step in and handle the situation for them. Or at the very least take the hurt away.
In many cases, they know exactly what other people expect from them and you see how hard they try to meet those expectations—at school, in friendships, and at home. You’ve also seen what it can cost them.
As they’re getting older and getting ready to enter adulthood, you’re in the difficult place of trying to figure out when to support, when to stand back, and how to gradually hand over responsibility.
Teens may be struggling with…
Disconnects between what they meant to say and how it comes across, and not having the skillset to correct the misunderstanding.
Connecting with their peers in a meaningful way, like they see others their age doing.
Putting words to what's going on inside, especially when they're upset, leading to emotional distress.
Wanting more independence in some areas, needing more support in others, and trying to find the balance.
Following through on something they already know they should do but can’t quite get themselves to start.
Recovering from conflicts or setbacks that can get blown out of proportion.
MY APPROACH
I believe teenagers do best in therapy when they feel respected, understood, and involved in the process.
Teens with ADHD or Autism have so many people telling them how they should be. I take a different approach. I work collaboratively with them to understand what's getting in the way and identify meaningful goals that matter to them.
Since I tailor my approach to your teen’s specific personality, goals, and neurotype, the way we work from there will depend on their individual needs. I never want to change who they are. But that doesn’t mean avoiding positive changes altogether. We can work on communication, regulation, responsibility, relationships, and behavior without trying to fit them into a neurotypical box.
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Navigating friendships and dating
Regulating emotions
Processing difficult experiences like bullying
Developing routines that work with their brain
Managing school responsibilities
Improving communication skills
Building coping skills
Preparing for driving
Navigating the job search and interview process
Understanding workplace expectations
Increased ownership of responsibilities as ready.
When appropriate, I can bring parents into the process as partners. Parent sessions provide guidance on how to better understand their teen, improve communication, reduce conflict, and create an environment where everyone feels more connected. I want to help you work together as a family, but I also maintain a confidential space where your teen can speak openly. The level of parent involvement will depend on the teen’s age and goals, among other factors.
My intention is for your teen to leave our sessions with skills to support them in their current stage of life and the next one.
With therapy, your teen can…
Understand themselves better, and learn tools that work with how their brain operates, not against it.
Communicate more effectively by having the skills they need to clarify what they mean and ask for clarification from others.
Recognize healthy and unhealthy dynamics in relationships, learn to set and respect boundaries, and effectively handle social disappointments.
Incrementally increase ownership of their responsibilities because they have systems in place to support them.
Feel supported as they prepare for the next stage of life with structures in place to help them grow their independence as they’re ready.
Teen THERAPY IN CALIFORNIA
Your teen can have the support to grow without trying to become someone else.
Questions? I’ve got answers.
Frequently asked questions —
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There are some legal and ethical limits to confidentiality, most commonly around safety, and I'll be sure to explain those clearly. Outside of those situations, what your teen tells me stays between us. If your teen is going to make progress toward their therapy goals, it’s important that your teen has a genuinely private space where they can feel heard and respected.
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Both. Your teen gets a confidential space of their own, and I also meet with you periodically to help you understand what's going on, improve communication at home, and reduce conflict. Those two things work together, not against each other.
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I work collaboratively with teens, which means they have a real voice in setting the goals we work toward. It doesn't mean I just sit back and wait for them to lead everything. I'm active in sessions too, offering feedback, guidance, and direct input when it's useful, the same way I would with any client. The goals themselves come from what actually matters to them.
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No, they don’t. Many of the teens I see suspect they may be neurodivergent but don’t have a formal diagnosis yet. Others have just recently been diagnosed and are ready to learn more about how their brain works. We can determine during our initial consultation whether I’m the right therapist for your teen.
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Yes, I do. If you'd like online sessions, it helps to find a place in your home where your teen can have real privacy, since a therapy session should feel confidential, and your teen should feel free to speak openly. Some parents use headphones or a white noise machine to help create that space. These sessions are for your teen. I meet with parents periodically in designated sessions for general updates, but the specifics of what your teen and I discuss stay between us.
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I'm a neurodiversity-affirming therapist and Licensed Clinical Social Worker with six years of clinical experience working with neurodivergent teens and adults. I have experience with family work and helping teens with executive functioning, communication, and adolescent transitions. I understand that ADHD and Autism affect more than just school performance or social situations. I take a practical approach to help teens develop tools and systems that work with how their brain already functions, instead of trying to change who they are. They leave our sessions with strategies they can actually use, at school, at home, and with the people in their life.
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I work with teens starting at 16. That said, "best age" depends more on your teen. Some are ready to engage on their own at 16, and others aren't quite there until a bit later. If you're not sure, a consultation is a good way to figure out if now's the right time.
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Yes. If you suspect your teen may be neurodivergent, I encourage you to reach out to schedule a free consultation call. We can talk about what your teen is experiencing, what concerns you, and what kind of support may be helpful.