Teen Therapy

Therapy for Teens can help teens navigate the challenges of adolescence with confidence and resilience.

Is your teen having a hard time?

Let’s be real, nowadays teens have insane schedules. If being a full-time student wasn’t enough then the hours of homework on top of clubs/extracurricular activities can be overwhelming. Now, add studying/prep work for college applications, standardized testing (cause optional really means still mandatory for all the competitive schools). And a social life. It’s a lot. So why are we surprised that nearly one-third of teens will develop an anxiety disorder?

Adolescence is a period of profound change and growth. Between all these responsibilities, it’s easy for teens to feel overwhelmed and unsure of themselves. Sadly, due to social media, it’s hard to navigate those internal struggles along with the outside noise. But therapy can help with that.

Teens & Mental Health Struggles

A lot of mental health issues start in your teenage years. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), approximately 1 in 5 adolescents (ages 13–18) in the United States experiences a severe mental health disorder at some point during their life. These include conditions such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, self-harming and substance use.

Although things like genetics and brain chemistry play a role, there are also external stressors that can affect the mental health of teens. As if physical changes weren't enough, there are academic pressures and social expectations, especially when it comes to social media. The rise of social media has been linked to an increase in mental health issues among teens, particularly anxiety, depression, and body image concerns. Studies have shown that excessive social media use can lead to negative mental health outcomes due to comparison, cyberbullying, and pressure to present a "perfect" image.

And even though there are useful self-care tips on Instagram and TikTok, working with a teen therapist can actually make a meaningful, lasting difference. 

Therapy for Teens:

Our Specialities

Therapy for teens offers teens strategies for stress management, emotion regulation, fostering self-care and safe space to process all their feelings. Reach out now to learn more.

We specialize in helping teens thrive and fully connect with themselves and others. We have expertise in the following:

  • Anxiety & Panic Attacks

  • Depression

  • Perfectionism & High Achiever Stress

  • Obsessive Thinking & OCD

  • Bullying/cyber-bullying

  • Body Image Issues & Self-Esteem

  • ADHD & Executive Functioning

  • School-related challenges/Academic Stress

  • School Refusal

  • College Transition/College Application Stress

  • Identity exploration + Identity Based Stress (BIPOC issues, BIPOC students attending Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) & LGBTQIA+)

  • Relationship Issues (including dating and conflict with friends or family)

  • Grief & Loss

Teen Therapy With EMTG

Our style at EMTG is highly engaging yet warm and friendly with a bit of humor. It’s a safe space for you to discuss anything and everything. Therapy will help teens get tangible results. Here’s some goals teens have had in treatment:

  • Emotional regulation: Learning to manage and express emotions in a healthy way (e.g., anger, anxiety, sadness).

  • Self-esteem and self-acceptance: Building confidence, learning to love oneself, and overcoming negative self-talk.

  • Building coping strategies to have healthier ways to manage triggers, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation.

  • Improving relationships: Working on communication skills, handling conflicts better, and improving relationships with family, friends, or peers.

  • Building resilience and self-confidence: Developing the ability to bounce back from setbacks, failures, or difficult experiences.

  • School and academic performance: Working on strategies to manage academic stress, improve time management, and set academic goals.

  • Identity development: Exploring and understanding one’s personal identity, including race, sexual orientation, gender, and cultural identity.

Therapeutic Techniques for Teen Therapy

Our approach to teen therapy is integrative, using a blend of evidence-based practices with validation and empathy:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you challenge unhelpful thinking patterns.

  • Exposure Therapy/Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a specialized form of CBT for anxiety and OCD that encourages you to face your fears. During exposure therapy, you'll rate your anxiety level at the start of each exposure, and track how it changes as you work through the exposure. 

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) provides skills to manage intense emotions and develop emotional regulation.

  • Supportive Therapy aims to provide comfort, encouragement, and assistance to enhance the teen’s ability to manage stress, help navigate difficult transition period, reinforce strengths, and improve overall well-being.

  • Art therapy for teens can be an incredibly powerful tool for self-expression, emotional processing, and personal growth. It provides a creative and non-verbal way for adolescents to explore their feelings, manage stress, and work through difficult experiences, especially when they might find it challenging to communicate through words alone.

Therapy for Teens Creates Long-Lasting Change

At end of treatment, our teens report: 

  • Improved mood/decrease in depressive symptoms

  • Less anxiety and panic attacks

  • Confidence in managing uncertainty and confidence in themselves

  • Better coping strategies

  • Improved interpersonal relationships (among friendships & family)

  • Feeling grounded and more at peace in their bodies

  • Better academic performance

  • Gaining a deeper understanding of their values, beliefs, and aspirations

  • Cohesive sense of self and the ability to make decisions aligned with their authentic selves

    With therapy, your teen will be able to create a well-defined identity which can help them better manage stress and navigate challenges by providing a strong foundation for self-worth. 

TESTIMONIALS

  • Dr. Shaneze was such a gift to us and our son. When we came to her, we were all very stressed out by what felt like the impossible demands of middle school. We were butting heads with our child, compounding the challenges he was already struggling to cope with. Within a few months of working with Dr. Shaneze, we were experiencing far less friction at home, and our son was coping much better with school demands. Most significantly, our son became much more warm and open to us, knowing we had become a team. Dr. Shaneze has a very easy way of communicating, and her advice always felt straightforward and simple to follow. She is deeply understanding and practical and has a very natural way of communicating what were routinely spot-on insights.

  • Dr. Smith helped our teenage son with his anxiety and worries about going to school. She provided us with insight into his struggles and how we can support him. She helped him with exposures and ways to change his thoughts about school. Our son continues to do well since treatment has ended. We can’t thank her enough for all she’s done for him.

  • Our teenage son has made lots of progress through Dr. Smith’s counseling. He now has a variety of strategies to help address his issues with anxiety, OCD and autism. We also learned strategies that we can use to help him. We are grateful for the support she has provided our family.

  • I would definitely recommend Dr. Gayle Smith and this form therapy to another teen. It really helped me detach from my thoughts. It helped me realize that the rituals I had to do was unnecessary, which helped me move on. She did a great job helping me work through all my fears and worries. Thank you for your help.

  • We started working with Dr. Smith due to the loss of my husband. My teenage daughter was struggling with processing his loss and wouldn’t speak to me about it. I watched how session after session, she became more open to expressing her feelings. Dr. Smith would have parent sessions with me to give me language around how to better support my daughter. Then, my daughter became very anxious with school demands and not being able to complete her coursework. It was with Dr. Smith’s advice and guidance that we were able to get her evaluated for ADHD. Dr. Smith would call the school and follow-up to ensure that my daughter received her accommodations. She helped give my daughter skills to help get her work done and advocate for herself. Dr. Smith provided countless resources to help navigate ADHD.

  • I am incredibly grateful for the support and guidance I received during my time in therapy for OCD. As a teen, it felt like my life was being consumed by constant, overwhelming thoughts and compulsions that I couldn't control. It made daily activities feel impossible and left me feeling isolated and frustrated. However, with the help of Dr. Shaneze, I learned how to understand my OCD and develop tools to manage it. Through therapy, I gained a deeper awareness of how my thoughts and behaviors were connected, and I was taught strategies to challenge my compulsions and use of exposures. It wasn't easy, but I began to see small victories—each time I resisted an urge, I felt more in control. Dr. Shaneze was really encouraging but didn’t push me when I wasn’t ready, it made all the difference. With her support, I now feel more in control of my life and my OCD no longer defines me. I’m thankful for the progress I’ve made and the confidence I’ve gained in managing my OCD. I’m learning to live with more peace and less fear, and I know I have the tools to face challenges moving forward. Therapy has truly changed my life, and I couldn’t be more thankful.

About Dr. Shaneze Gayle Smith

Read More About Me

I’m a trained child and adolescent psychologist licensed for therapy in 41 states.

With over a decade of experience working with adolescents, I feel confident in helping your teen navigate mental health difficulties including anxiety, ADHD, depression, emotion regulation issues, grief/loss, identity issues (race/gender/sexuality) and chronic health issues.

Additionally, I have particular expertise in academic stress and high achievers/twice exceptional students having worked as a SAT/ACT tutor and college advisor for over 15 years. I understand the academic pressures that teens are facing and can help them navigate this difficult time.

As a mother, I understand a parent’s desire to want the best for their teen. I would be honored to help support your teen and setting them up for success!

Education

  • PhD in Clinical Psychology, Seton Hall University (Health Psychology & Child/Adolescent Focus)

  • Psychology Residency, Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center

  • MS in Forensic Psychology, Walden University

  • Medical School (3 years), Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School

  • BA in Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University

Credentials

  • Trained in various treatment approaches targeted for teens including Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder.

  • Expertise in academic stress & perfectionism, ADHD/EF and chronic health issues.

  • Over a decade of experience treating teens and experience conducting research on teens.

About Vernee Brooks, LPC, LMHC

Read More About Me

I am a trained adolescent therapist licensed for therapy in New Jersey & Texas.

I can remember how difficult those teenage years were for me. Therapy with me will provide a safe and supportive space for teens to navigate the emotional and psychological challenges that come with growing up. This time is filled with stress, anxiety, depression, and confusion. But together, we can develop healthy coping strategies, improve their emotional regulation, and gain a better understanding of you and your We’ll connect, laugh and you’ll get personalized guidance during this critical time.

Let’s chat!

Education

  • M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Walden University

  • BA in Psychology, Rutgers University

Credentials

  • Advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for anxiety disorders and depression in teens.

  • Expertise in anxiety and panic attacks due to race-related stressors particularly for Black teens, BIPOC identity exploration, body image issues and social media.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Before we begin, both the teen and their parent(s) are welcome to schedule consult call to get a sense of what therapy will be like. This is an opportunity to ask questions and decide whether our practice will be a good fit. If we decide to move forward to intake process, there will be two sessions. Our first session is only with parents/guardians to go over expectations, policies/consents, and confidentiality. Additionally, parents will provide their perspective of what is going on with teen.

After the initial parent session, teen sessions will begin. It’s important to note that counseling places YOU, the teen client, in the driver’s seat. We will discuss your symptoms and gain understanding of how they affect you. As you learn more about your patterns, you will be able to identify common triggers. With this knowledge, you can change your response and begin to do things differently. 

When you're anxious, your thoughts and feelings can get jumbled up, but us therapists can help put the puzzle pieces together. Instead of feeling like you'll be stuck in a cycle of worry and self-doubt, you can develop lifelong skills for coping with the hard stuff. 

Working together in therapy for teens, you can create the peaceful, harmonious future you want for yourself. 

Getting Started Together

Parents, we provide tailored treatment to the unique challenges teens face. The goal is to help them feel ready to face the future with confidence and optimism. This includes providing safe space for exploratory work and development of skills that help them manage social media, peer pressure, and any other challenge thrown their way.

Teens, with everything you need to get done, it can totally feel like there is not enough time to just be. Therapy is your time to process and feel with someone who’s on your side. Working together in therapy for teens, you can learn to manage your stressors/worries, learn helpful skills, and build confidence in yourself.

Teen Therapy FAQs

  • A: Parents, we get it…you want to know what’s going on with your child. However, as a general rule, we keep the information teens share confidential. After the introductory call and parent session, we will only talk with parents when teen requests it or are also there. It’s so important to us that our teens know they can trust us; we will not share what they say to us in sessions with parents. 

    However, there are some important exceptions. If someone has hurt your teen, or if teen expresses a desire to hurt themself or others, we will need to tell parents. But we will always have a conversation beforehand with you, teen, to make sure you feel safe and supported. 

    The counseling process is designed to place you (the teen) at the center of it. In therapy for teens, you are the client—not your parent(s).

  • A: Yes, if you’re a minor (under 18), legally, consent would be needed from BOTH parents/guardians in order to start treatment unless one parent/guardian has full custody.

  • Yes! We have worked with a lot of teens in counseling. Don’t worry—we’re tech-savvy, and we promise you won’t have to explain what IG live or Snapchat or a private story is. We’re not uptight and you might hear us drop a few f bombs.

  • A: Yes! Incorporating thought work significantly improves anxiety, depression, ADHD and other mental health difficulties. You are not your thoughts. Let me repeat this. You are NOT your thoughts. The foundation of thought work is the knowledge that you are not your thoughts. You—who you are at the deepest level—are separate from the voice of the mind.

    Additionally, your thoughts—not your circumstances—determine your feelings. In our work together, we will identify, evaluate and respond to your negative thoughts, the thinking traps you’ve been falling into that have been fueling your anxiety. We will replace them with more adaptive and helpful thoughts. Additionally, for those who have harder time challenging the thoughts, we learn ways to accept and create distance from those thoughts. For example, original thought “I’m going to do a terrible on this test” Challenging the thought might look like “what’s the evidence that supports this?” Accepting and creating distance from that thought will look like “I’m having the thought that I’m going to do a terrible on the test.” When you acknowledge the thought for what it is…just a thought…it will have less power over you.

  • A: Medication in addition to therapy can be significantly helpful in managing anxiety and other issues such as depression, and ADHD. But it is not necessary. We include more holistic approaches to mental health improvement such as use of essential oils, decreasing alcohol use (hangxiety is a real thing!) and exercise to name a few. However, for those clients on medication or want to include medication in treatment, we feel comfortable with collaborating with prescribers to make sure your treatment team is all on the same page!