Whether it's pressure at school, friendships, or a future that feels overwhelming, therapy can help you work through it and build practical skills for focus, stress, and difficult emotions. Here's what to expect, and how to get started.
We usually meet once a week to talk through what's going on and work toward goals we set together. I'll be direct. I won't tell you what to think, and I won't pretend things are fine when they aren't. You can say the thing you've been thinking but not saying out loud. You can also take your time and stay quiet for a while if you need to.
Some of it is practical. There are skills for stress, anxiety, low mood, perfectionism, focus, and feelings that get too big too fast (e.g., the spiral the night before a test, or replaying a conversation with a friend over and over).
Some of it is bigger. What do you value, once you set aside what your parents, your school, or the people around you say you should? What kind of person do you want to be? What do you do with the part of you that's scared, or angry, or convinced you're behind? Those questions don't have quick answers, and they're worth the time.
You have a say in the goals. We decide together what we're working on, and you can change your mind.
We can meet in my office in Palo Alto or over video, whichever feels easier for you.
Your parents participate at the start and as appropriate throughout. I share general themes and progress with them, but not the details of what you say in session. If something comes up that I think they need to know, I'll talk with you first where I can, and we'll make a plan together for how to share that information. The limit is safety: if I'm seriously worried that you might hurt yourself or someone else, I'll take steps to reduce the risk, which may include involving your parents. In some situations the law also requires me to report to an outside agency, and that's separate from anything I tell your parents. When it's safe, I'll talk with you before I do any of this, or tell you afterward.
We'll go over all of this before we start, and you can ask me anything about it, as many times as you want.
In my practice, a parent or guardian agrees to therapy and sets it up, so the first step is a conversation with them.
You don't need a perfect explanation. It can be as simple as telling them one or two things that have been hard lately and that you'd like support with. Then you can show them the page I wrote for parents, which explains what I do, how they're involved, and has a button for them to book a free call with me.
When your parents book a call with me, you're welcome to have a short call with me too before we schedule a first session, so you get a say in whether I'm the right fit.
If that feels hard, you can also show this page to a school counselor or another adult you trust and ask them to help you bring it up.
We usually meet once a week to talk through what's going on and work toward goals we set together. I'll be direct. I won't tell you what to think, and I won't pretend things are fine when they aren't. You can say the thing you've been thinking but not saying out loud. You can also take your time and stay quiet for a while if you need to.
Some of it is practical. There are skills for stress, anxiety, low mood, perfectionism, focus, and feelings that get too big too fast (e.g., the spiral the night before a test, or replaying a conversation with a friend over and over).
Some of it is bigger. What do you value, once you set aside what your parents, your school, or the people around you say you should? What kind of person do you want to be? What do you do with the part of you that's scared, or angry, or convinced you're behind? Those questions don't have quick answers, and they're worth the time.
You have a say in the goals. We decide together what we're working on, and you can change your mind.
We can meet in my office in Palo Alto or over video, whichever feels easier for you.
Your parents participate at the start and as appropriate throughout. I share general themes and progress with them, but not the details of what you say in session. If something comes up that I think they need to know, I'll talk with you first where I can, and we'll make a plan together for how to share that information. The limit is safety: if I'm seriously worried that you might hurt yourself or someone else, I'll take steps to reduce the risk, which may include involving your parents. In some situations the law also requires me to report to an outside agency, and that's separate from anything I tell your parents. When it's safe, I'll talk with you before I do any of this, or tell you afterward.
We'll go over all of this before we start, and you can ask me anything about it, as many times as you want.
In my practice, a parent or guardian agrees to therapy and sets it up, so the first step is a conversation with them.
You don't need a perfect explanation. It can be as simple as telling them one or two things that have been hard lately and that you'd like support with. Then you can show them the page I wrote for parents, which explains what I do, how they're involved, and has a button for them to book a free call with me.
When your parents book a call with me, you're welcome to have a short call with me too before we schedule a first session, so you get a say in whether I'm the right fit.
If that feels hard, you can also show this page to a school counselor or another adult you trust and ask them to help you bring it up.
In my practice, yes. A parent or guardian agrees to therapy and sets it up. Once we start, we'll work together to set goals for what you want to work on.
That's fine. You don't have to know what to say at first. I ask questions, and I'm comfortable with quiet.
You don't need to know for sure to start. We'll talk through what you've noticed, and I can use short screeners to see whether anxiety, depression, or ADHD might be part of what you're dealing with. We also work on practical skills for managing symptoms day to day. If a fuller evaluation or other support would be useful, I'll let you know and help your parents find the right support.
There's no bar to clear. Starting while things are manageable can help keep them that way, and starting when they feel unmanageable can help them get better. We can begin wherever you are, including somewhere in between.
Once you're 18 you book for yourself, and the rules about privacy change. There's a page for college students and people in their twenties that covers the details.
No pressure and no deadline. The next step is showing your parents the page written for them. You're welcome to have a short call with me too.