With adolescents, our psychotherapy/counselling services are often focused on developing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) strategies, as well as teaching Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) techniques. CBT helps teens to identify, challenge and correct negative and inaccurate patterns of thinking and behaving. When this is done effectively, it helps to improve how they feel. With DBT, this treatment approach is typically used to help teens manage intense emotions effectively.  

With both therapeutic approaches, strong emphasis is placed on helping teens to develop skills and strategies they can use to manage whatever mental health issue they are facing. 

Important emphasis is also placed on developing rapport and a strong therapeutic alliance with our teen clients. It is critical that adolescents feel comfortable and confident with their therapist so they are willing to fully engage in the process. It is also very important that teens are aware that psychotherapy/counselling is a collaborative process, as opposed to an adult telling them what to do!

Important emphasis is also placed on developing rapport and a strong therapeutic alliance with our teen clients. It is critical that adolescents feel comfortable and confident with their therapist so they are willing to fully engage in the process. It is also very important that teens are aware that psychotherapy/counselling is a collaborative process, as opposed to an adult telling them what to do! 

We always encourage the involvement of parents in the therapeutic process but are respectful when our adolescent clients wish to keep the information shared in their sessions private (teenagers can typically provide their own consent to treatment). Generally speaking, we find that our teen clients choose to have their parent(s) involved in the first session to assist with providing background information, as well as their feedback about the presenting issue. Beyond the first session, our adolescent clients often request that we provide brief updates about their progress to their parent(s), but this isn’t always the case.