Therapy with Teens: FAQs

Therapy can be a daunting journey for anyone, talking to a stranger about personal issues can be terrifying. If you’re a teenager wondering about therapy or a parent considering therapy for your teen, you may be sitting with a lot of questions. That’s why, before you begin your therapy journey, we are answering questions you may have to help the process feel less intimidating. These are some of the most commonly asked questions, and hopefully they address some of the uncertainties on your mind.

• What is a therapist or a teen therapist?

You may be completely new to the world of therapy and be asking ‘well what exactly is a therapist?’, and that’s a great place to start. Therapists are trained mental health practitioners, whose job it is to support individuals facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma or big life changes like divorce. Therapists have various niches though, and teen therapy is one of those niches. Teen therapists are trained to work specifically with teenagers and their unique mental health challenges. These therapists will have a special understanding of the teenage years and how to assess needs and provide support during this time.

• Why would I see a therapist?

People go to therapy for millions of reasons, both big and small. For teenagers, some of the more common reasons to go see a therapist may be to talk about things going on in your life (whether that be school, family, friends, relationships, anything), to work through problems you may be facing that you don’t want to talk about with parents or friends, to work on and better yourself, or even just to help make a big decision. The greatest thing about coming to therapy as a teenager, is it gives you a space to talk to an adult that is completely objective and unrelated to the situation or to you.

• What will happen if I go see a therapist?

The first session of therapy is often called an ‘intake session’ and the focus is really on you and the therapist getting to know each other and deciding whether or not you are a good fit together. You and the therapist will introduce yourselves, and then you will discuss what brings you to therapy. You’ll also get a chance to ask the therapist any questions you may have. The first session is often a lot of talking, asking questions and getting information, but it can also involve more fun things like playing games or doing creative activities; what the session looks like exactly will depend on your interests and the specific therapist. Towards the end of the session, your therapist will ask you if you feel they are a good fit for what you are looking for; not every therapist is going to be the right fit for you, so this is an essential question (P.S., we won’t be offended if you say no). If you have found a good fit, you will continue coming to weekly sessions. You and your therapist will discuss and explore what those sessions will look like.

• How many sessions will I need?

This will vary from person to person, but as a general rule The Connect Group generally commits to 6-8 sessions after which you and your therapist will reassess your progress and needs. At that point you can decide to end sessions if you feel you have achieved what you wanted to, continue with more sessions if you still want support, or even do something else like see a specialist.

• What can I talk about with a therapist?

Whatever you want! The session is your space, so you get to decide how you want to use it and what you want to talk about. Friends, school, family problems, mental health, grief, relationships, difficult decisions, addictions, behaviours, experiences… the list goes on. Nothing is out of bounds!

• How involved will my parents be in the process?

This is pretty much up to you. When you come for therapy the golden rule of confidentiality applies, which means that anything you share with us will remain between us. So, we will only tell you parents what you give us permission to. There is one exception to this rule though, and that is if you share something that suggests either you or someone else is in danger, then we are ethically bound to tell the authorities and your parents (the rules of confidentiality will be discussed more clearly in your first session). Outside of that though, you call the shots; you can tell your parents/caregivers as little or as much as you want and you can involve them as much as you feel comfortable.

• How will my non-teen therapist understand me?

It can be scary starting therapy, and more often than not we understand that therapy is the last place teens want to be. That’s why, our focus isn’t on changing your mind, but rather on connecting with, and getting to know you, whether it be over TikTok, playing games, kicking a soccer ball or even just sitting on our cozy couch with a cup of hot chocolate chatting about friends. We understand therapy is uncomfortable, we’ve been in therapy ourselves (sometimes even as teens), so our focus is on making it as comfortable as possible for you. Our therapists will make every effort to stay up to date with teen-related things and are willing to go the extra mile to make sessions less daunting. Remember, we were once teens too so we may surprise you.

While you may still be sitting with several other questions, we do hope that these have at least eased some of your concerns. Remember that your therapist will also be available to answer questions and guide you through the process, so you don’t worry if you still have questions.

At The Connect Group we love connecting with teenagers, we love the fun, dynamic energy they bring to sessions, and we can’t wait to begin this journey with you.