Therapy For Teens
Helping your teen navigate the stress of growing up, build confidence, and find balance in their emotional well-being. Serving teens and their families in the Palo Alto Bay Area and online across California.
Build Emotional Resilience
Help your teen manage stress, anxiety, & overwhelming emotions with practical tools that promote balance a& well-being.
Focus on Their Values
Empower your teen to spend less time worrying about peer pressure or fitting in & more time enjoying the things they love.
Improve Communication & Confidence
Support your teen in developing better communication skills, building self-confidence, & fostering healthier relationships.
When you’re a teenager, it can feel like no one understands you
Adolescence is a time of enormous growth, change, and emotional upheaval. It can feel like no matter how hard your teen tries to keep up with academic expectations, social pressures, or fitting in with their peers, it’s never quite enough. Teens are trying to figure out who they are, how to gain independence, and where they fit in the world—all while still needing guidance and reassurance.
At Core Wellness Living & Family Therapy, we support you as parents by providing a safe, non-judgmental space where teens can learn how to navigate the complexities of growing up.
Therapy For Teens | Palo Alto Bay Area
- Spending more time alone or avoiding social situations.
- Struggling to concentrate or maintain their grades in school
- Eating too much or too little, or having trouble sleeping.
- Frequently speaking poorly about themselves or comparing themselves to others.
- Losing interest in hobbies or things they used to enjoy.
- Reacting with frustration or anger more frequently.
- Complaining of unexplained headaches, stomach aches, or discomfort.
- Engaging in risky behaviors such as substance use, skipping school, or acting recklessly.
Therapy For Teens | Palo Alto Bay Area
Who Therapy For Teens Can Help
In today’s world, teens want the freedom to make their own decisions and be treated like adults, but at the same time, they’re looking for reassurance from the adults they trust. This push and pull can cause tension at home, leading to conflicts and misunderstandings. Your teen might not always know how to express what they need, and that can be frustrating for both of you. That’s where therapy can help.
Therapy for teens isn’t only for big mental health issues—it’s for any teen feeling overwhelmed by the stress of growing up. Whether your teen is dealing with anxiety, depression, body image struggles, or the constant pressure to fit in at school, teen therapy can provide a safe space to work through it. Together, we’ll explore what’s going on beneath the surface and help your teen build emotional resilience, improve communication, and gain confidence.
We use evidence-based approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help teens challenge negative thought patterns and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to manage intense emotions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps them focus on what really matters to them, not just what others expect. When needed, family therapy can also help improve communication and reduce conflict at home by involving everyone in the healing process.
Our teen therapists give your teen the tools they need to handle whatever life throws their way—whether it’s school stress, friendships, or family dynamics. We want to help them feel more confident, balanced, and connected so they can thrive through these challenging years instead of feeling overwhelmed by them.
Therapy For Teens | Palo Alto Bay Area
Challenges Teens Face:
Depression
Conflict With Family Members
Failure to Launch
Body Image Issues
High Stress From Societal Pressure
Gain greater self-awareness
We know how overwhelming it can be to feel like your thoughts are tangled, and therapy for teens provides a safe space for teens to make sense of it all. When they start to recognize what they’re feeling and why, they can navigate difficult situations with more clarity and confidence. This self-awareness helps them move through life’s transitions with a deeper understanding of who they are and what they need.
Develop emotional resilience
Improve communication and relationships
Teens often struggle to express how they feel, leading to misunderstandings with family, friends, or peers. In therapy for teens, we help them find their voice and improve their communication skills so they can express their needs and set healthy boundaries without fear. Better communication opens the door to stronger, more meaningful connections with the people around them.
Build self-confidence and reduce self-doubt
Strengthen family connections
Conflicts at home can be tough for both teens and parents, often leaving everyone feeling frustrated or misunderstood. We know you love your teen and want the best for them, and we’re here to help bridge that gap. When teens feel supported at home, it can make a huge difference in how they feel overall. Therapy can help bring families closer and create a calmer, more connected environment.
In a world that’s tough to navigate, your support helps them find balance.
Who We Are
Why Work With Core Wellness Living & Family Therapy
Life can be complicated.
The demands of work, family, relationships, and self-expectations can feel overwhelming, leaving you unsure of how to cope. At times, it may seem like there’s too much to balance, and managing it all becomes exhausting. In these moments, it’s easy to feel stuck or disconnected from the life you truly want to live.
At Core Wellness Living, we believe therapy is where clarity begins. It’s a space to make sense of your experiences and learn healthier ways to manage stress and emotions. We help you embrace your imperfections, find strength in your individuality, and connect with the shared human experience.
Our diverse team of therapists brings over 15 years of combined experience, offering a personalized approach that honors your culture, history, and personal journey, using evidence-based methods to guide you toward meaningful change.
The values behind Core Wellness Living & Family Therapy
Genuineness
We believe that being comfortable with who you are is key to meaningful change. Our approach is open, authentic, and grounded, helping you embrace your own truth.
Common Humanity
We all face struggles, make mistakes, and experience pain. Instead of seeing these challenges as personal failings, we view them as a part of being human.
Compassion
We believe that showing kindness and empathy to both ourselves and others can foster deeper connections, promote healing, and create a more compassionate world.
Curiosity
We encourage a mindset of curiosity—a desire to explore new ideas and perspectives that invite growth and help us better understand ourselves and the world around us.
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Meet Our Team
Match With A Teen Therapist
Find the right teen therapist or counselor for you. Browse our team profiles or contact us to get matched. Our team is available for in-person teen therapy in the Palo Alto Bay Area or online therapy sessions across California.
Our Approach
How Therapy For Teens Works
We take the time to get to know your teen.
Whether your teen has asked for therapy or you’re seeking support for them, we begin by understanding their unique challenges. We’ll talk with both you and your teen to build trust and create a safe space where they feel comfortable opening up.
We create a plan together.
Based on your teen’s needs, we’ll develop a personalized treatment plan. Parent involvement will vary depending on the situation, and we’ll have clear discussions about what is shared with parents and what remains private, always keeping your teen’s safety in mind. Our goal is to empower your teen while ensuring you’re involved where it matters most.
We support them every step of the way.
“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” — Maya Angelou
Therapy For Teens | Palo Alto Bay Area
Questions About Therapy For Teens
Is teen therapy only for serious issues?
While therapy is essential for addressing serious concerns like anxiety, depression, and trauma, it’s not just for mental health crises. Teen therapy can benefit any teen looking for greater self-awareness, a safe space to talk about difficult topics, or support navigating life changes. It’s a valuable resource for teens who want to explore identity, independence, relationships, or any other aspect of growing up.
What stages of development are important during the teen years?
During adolescence, teens experience significant physical, emotional, and social changes. Puberty brings biological shifts, while brain development creates new capacities for learning and emotional regulation. Socially, teens start spending more time with friends and less with family, navigating peer relationships while forming their own identity. Therapy can help teens navigate these stages and develop healthy habits and emotional skills that will serve them well into adulthood.
Why is therapy important for teens?
The teen years are full of “firsts”—first loves, first major failures, first big life decisions. These years are also marked by intense pressure to succeed and fit in, both socially and academically. Therapy for teens helps them manage these pressures, offering them tools to cope with stress, communicate better, and build confidence in themselves.
What if my teen doesn’t like talking about their feelings?
It’s common for teens to resist talking about their emotions, especially if they feel uncomfortable or vulnerable. Therapy for teens can help them learn to express themselves in a safe, supportive environment, giving them the skills to manage emotions, improve mental health, and build stronger relationships.
Why is resilience important for teens?
Resilience is key to helping teens cope with life’s challenges. In therapy for teens, we focus on helping teenagers develop the ability to adapt to difficult situations, learn from setbacks, and build the confidence to handle whatever comes their way.
Therapy For Teens | Palo Alto Bay Area
What You Can Expect From Teen Therapy
While every teen’s journey is different, with time and support, you can expect to see positive changes, including:
- Greater self-compassion and self-confidence
- Improved relationships with family, friends, and peers
- A renewed sense of hope and purpose
- Increased self-awareness and emotional intelligence
- Better communication and conflict resolution skills
- Less conflict at home and more connection with family
Core Wellness Living & Family Therapy
How To Get Started
Ready to take the next step or have questions? You can schedule a free 15-minute consultation, send us a message through our contact form, or give us a call—we’re here to make getting started as easy as possible.
