TEEN COUNSELLING

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 The teen years ask a lot of a person. Friendships shift, school gets harder, expectations pile up, and a young person is also working out who they are. When things feel like too much, it can show up in ways that are easy to misread from the outside, such as pulling away, snapping at the people they love, avoiding school, or seeming like they don't care. These are often signs that a teen is coping with something big and doesn't yet have the words or tools for it.

At River Stone Psychotherapy, I offer counselling for teens and young adults in Fergus, Elora and the wider Centre Wellington area. My approach is warm, collaborative and trauma-informed, and it moves at a pace that feels safe for your teen.

 Teens rarely announce that they need therapy. More often, a parent notices a change. It might be trouble sleeping, worry that won't settle, big reactions that seem out of proportion, a drop in energy, or a growing reluctance to go to school. Sometimes there has been a loss, a move, a hard experience, or a change at home. Sometimes there is no clear cause, and that is okay too. You don't need to have it figured out to reach out.

I support teens with anxiety, low mood, school refusal, grief and loss, trauma, strong emotions, and difficult transitions, including teens who are also navigating ADHD or FASD, and teens who are having thoughts of self-harm. If self harm is a concern please read more here

 I draw on Solution-Focused Therapy, Art Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, always through a trauma-informed lens. That means I pay attention to safety and trust first, and I let your teen help decide what we focus on. Sessions can involve talking, and they can also involve drawing, making, and other creative work for teens who find it easier to express themselves that way. Many teens who feel unsure about counselling find that this takes the pressure off.

Together we set goals that matter to your teen, build practical skills for handling stress and strong emotions, and make room to talk about what is really going on. I see teens as the experts on their own lives, and I see the behaviours that worry adults as messages about a need, not as character flaws.

We may begin with a free 30-minute consult, which is a chance for you to ask questions and for me to learn a little about what is bringing you here. If it feels like a good fit, we book a first session, in the beginning parent or guardians will be involved to talk about goals, consent and privacy. Sessions are 50 minutes and take place in person in Fergus. Most teens begin with weekly and may eventually move to bi-weekly sessions.

 I also work with young adults up to age 21 who are navigating transitions such as finishing high school, starting work or post-secondary, moving out, or changing relationships. 

FAQ

 Ready to talk? Reach out to book a free 30-minute consult. To keep things private, please leave personal details out of your first email, and we can talk them through by phone. If your teen is in crisis or at immediate risk, please call 911, call or text 988, or go to your nearest emergency department, as I can't respond to email in real time.