Our Approach to Teen Therapy
- Has persistent worry, anxiety, or panic
- Is refusing to go to school
- Has low mood or has lost interest in things they used to enjoy
- Is dealing with emotional outbursts or difficulty regulating feelings
- Struggles with focus, organization, or keeping up academically
- Has repetitive thoughts or behaviors that are hard to control
- Is exhausted and burned out from pressure and expectations
- Has withdrawn from family and friends
- Has difficulty with friendships or social confidence
Our Approach to Teen Therapy
Our therapists use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) — the most extensively researched treatment for adolescent anxiety, depression, OCD, and ADHD.
CBT is practical and skills-focused. It teaches teens how to understand what’s driving their anxiety or low mood, and what to do about it. Most teens see meaningful progress within 12–20 sessions.
For teens, therapy focuses on building self-awareness, emotional regulation, and practical coping skills they can carry into adulthood. We work in a way that meets them where they are.
Parents are partners throughout. We provide regular parent guidance so you understand what’s driving your teen’s challenges, how to respond in ways that support their progress, and what to do at home between sessions.
You don’t have to watch your teen struggle and wonder if it will pass on its own. Compassionate, evidence-based support for teens is available now in Palo Alto, San Jose, and Menlo Park — and online throughout California. Schedule a free consultation today.
Other therapeutic approaches may also be incorporated based on individual needs, including:
Evidence-Based CBT & Exposure Therapy
ERP is the gold standard treatment for OCD in teens. It works by gradually exposing teens to the thoughts or situations that trigger their obsessions, without performing the compulsions — teaching the brain that the feared outcome doesn’t materialize and anxiety will pass on its own.
SPACE Therapy
SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) works directly with parents to reduce the accommodations that unintentionally keep anxiety going. It’s particularly effective for teens who refuse school or avoid situations because of anxiety, especially when the teen is resistant to therapy themselves.
Family & Parent Support
Anxiety and other challenges in teenagers affect the whole family. Parent guidance sessions help parents understand what’s driving their teen’s behavior, how to respond in ways that reduce rather than reinforce it, and what to do at home between sessions to support progress.
What We Treat
Evidence-Based
Generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic, school anxiety, and test anxiety that interfere with daily life.
Teen Burnout
Exhaustion, loss of motivation, and emotional shutdown from the pressure of grades, college prep, and extracurriculars.
ADHD
Attention, focus, and executive function difficulties as academic demands increase in middle and high school.
Built Around School Schedules
Low mood, withdrawal, changes in sleep or appetite, and loss of interest in things that used to matter.
Social Difficulties
Struggles with friendships, social confidence, peer pressure, and navigating relationships online and off.
School & Academic Stress
Perfectionism, fear of failure, procrastination, and performance anxiety around grades and college.
OCD
Intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that interfere with school, relationships, and daily functioning.
Life Transitions
Divorce, moves, changing schools, identity questions, and transitions that knock teens off balance.
Watching your teenager struggle can be heartbreaking. Whether it's anxiety, school refusal, OCD, depression, ADHD, or social withdrawal, our therapists work alongside teens and their families to build practical skills, restore confidence, and help young people move forward.
With convenient office locations in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and San Jose, we proudly serve the entire Silicon Valley community – from Stanford University and the Peninsula to the South Bay, offering easy access for tech professionals, students, and families.
Frequently Asked Questions About Child and Teen Therapy
Consider reaching out if you notice changes in your child’s mood, behavior, or daily functioning that have lasted more than two weeks — or if your child is avoiding school, struggling socially, or expressing that they want help. You don’t need to wait for a crisis. Early support tends to produce faster results and prevents difficulties from becoming more entrenched.
The first session is a meeting with parents to understand your concerns and your child’s history. From there we get to know your child directly and assess their needs. We’ll develop a clear treatment plan and walk you through what to expect — so everyone starts with a shared understanding of the goals.
Very involved, especially for younger children. We believe therapy works best when parents understand what their child is working on and how to support it at home. We provide regular parent guidance as part of treatment, adapted to your child’s age and needs. For teens, we balance appropriate confidentiality with keeping parents meaningfully informed and engaged.
Yes. Video therapy is available and works well for many children and teens — particularly older kids and adolescents who are comfortable on screens. For some younger children, in-person sessions are more effective. We’ll help you figure out the best format for your child’s age and presentation.
We don’t prescribe medication, but we can coordinate with your child’s pediatrician or a child psychiatrist if medication evaluation seems appropriate as part of the overall treatment plan. Many children make significant progress with therapy alone, and we’ll always be clear about our clinical thinking.
Recognizing Good Therapy
Evidence-Based
CBT is the most thoroughly researched treatment for teen anxiety, depression, OCD, and ADHD. Every method we use has a strong evidence base.
Your Teen Actually Wants to Come Back
Getting a teen to engage in therapy takes more than clinical skill. Our therapists are warm, direct, and genuinely good with young people. Most teens who were reluctant come back.
You’ll Know What’s Happening
We don’t believe in open-ended therapy that goes on for years. Sessions are structured and goal-focused, with practical exercises your teen uses between appointments.
Built Around School Schedules
Evening and Saturday appointments are available across our Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and San Jose offices so therapy doesn’t mean pulling your teen out of school.
What Our Clients Are Saying…
Palo Alto Therapy does not just provide talk therapy, but focuses on teaching skills to maintain therapy. You have a genuine interest in the client’s well-being and you offered a new way of thinking about or means of addressing my issues.
What Our Clients Are Saying…
I liked the emphasis on doing concrete things to get results-writing down negative thoughts, trying to say things to counter those thoughts…Thank you for helping me make my life better.
What Our Clients Are Saying…
I found the homework exercises to be very helpful to me. I’ve been able to use techniques I have learned from those exercises to slow down my thoughts when problems arise and work through whatever the issue may be, OCD or otherwise.
Meet Our Team of Experienced Therapists in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, & San Jose working with Teens
Lani Gingras, AMFT
Hope Son, AMFT
Janika Filipe, AMFT, APCC
Hong-Ha Vuong, AMFT, APCC
Hannah Bodin, AMFT
Sarah Partridge, ASW
Sarah Chelew, AMFT
Jacquelyn “Jacqui” Lewis, LMFT, ATR-BC, CCTP, ACCTS
Michael Tran, LMFT
Sarah Covert, AMFT
Amanda Stewart, LMFT
Laura Tolle, LMFT
We connect you with a therapist who specializes in teen therapy—no guesswork. You get the right support immediately, before things get worse. Schedule a free consultation.
We track outcomes starting with your first session. Therapy success means concrete progress in weeks, supported by clear, measurable evidence.
Skip the waitlists and insurance runaround. We match you with a specialist who fits your needs — and a real person walks you through every step.
Our teen specialists provide compassionate, proven support.
Get Support for your Child or Teen Today
Your teen doesn’t have to keep struggling. With the right therapist and the right tools, they can stop avoiding, start enjoying life again, and feel like themselves.