The needs and challenges of adolescence can sometimes be overwhelming. For teens, the work of figuring out who they are, and who they want to be, happens alongside everything else: school, friends, family, change. Counselling can be a place to work through what’s hard, without judgment.
Signs your teen may need teen therapy:
- abnormal amount of anger, acting out, arguing, or changes in eating habits
- changes in academic or athletic performance
- engaging in risky or self-harming behaviours
- appears sad more than normal, lives in isolation, or has large swings in mood
- changes in groups of friends — hanging out with different people and ignoring old friends
- loss of interest in activities they once loved
- aggressive behaviour toward others
- changes in sleep patterns
- complains of headaches, stomachaches, or not feeling well despite being healthy
- major changes to family life — divorce, re-marriage, death
- sexual, physical, or emotional abuse
- problems with drugs or alcohol
Understanding Teen Counselling
Parents most often hope for independence and happiness for their teens. They want them to learn who they are and who they want to become, so they can make good choices and live a healthy, fulfilling life.
The teen years come with a lot — the pressure to perform, the work of figuring out identity, the intensity of friendships, the shifting relationship with parents, big questions about meaning and the future. For some teens, anxiety, depression, or the weight of difficult experiences makes all of this even harder.
Counselling can help your teen:
- work through anxiety and depression, learning what’s normal and how to cope with difficult feelings
- heal from traumatic experiences, such as bullying
- become more resilient and able to cope with problems in school and family life
- improve self-esteem
- learn skills for developing friendships
- support personal development to aid transition to independent adulthood — career exploration, goal setting, exploring “who am I and who do I want to be?”
- make life decisions
By having a space to think and feel and figure out what’s going on, your teen can move through this chapter with more confidence and less alone.
Our Therapeutic Approaches
We draw on a range of evidence-based approaches, grounded in a flexible, collaborative, and client-centred way of working that adapts to what is most helpful for your teen. Learn more about our approach to care.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps teens notice the thinking patterns that fuel anxiety, low mood, or self-criticism — and build more accurate, more workable ways of thinking. It’s a structured approach that gives teens practical tools they can take into the rest of their lives.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
DBT offers concrete skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and getting through hard moments without making things worse. Especially useful for teens experiencing intense emotional swings, self-harm, or difficulty staying with discomfort.
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
ACT helps teens sort out what actually matters to them and take action in those directions, even when difficult emotions are present. Particularly valuable during identity formation — when teens are figuring out their values for themselves rather than inheriting them from family or peers.
Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy pays attention to the stories teens are carrying — about themselves, their families, their futures. The work helps separate identity from problem and supports the teen in authoring who they’re becoming, rather than feeling defined by what’s hard.
Attachment-Based Therapy
Attachment-based work pays attention to relational patterns — with parents, peers, romantic partners. It’s often where the work of identity meets the work of belonging, and it can clarify a lot for teens navigating big relationship changes.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
Mindfulness-based work builds the skill of noticing what’s happening internally without immediately reacting. For teens who tend toward overwhelm or rumination, these tools create some space between feeling and action.
Trauma-Informed Approaches
When a teen has been through bullying, abuse, loss, or other difficult experiences, our therapists work in trauma-informed ways — moving at the teen’s pace, attending to safety, and respecting what they’ve been through.
If your teen has been struggling, counselling can help. The first step is reaching out — we’ll help you figure out what makes sense from there.
If your teen is in immediate crisis or you’re worried about their safety, please call 911. The Distress Line (780-482-HELP / 4357) is available 24/7, and Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) is specifically for teens.
Meet Some of Our Counsellors Who Work With Teens
Deni Fitzpatrick
Michelle Bella
Lori Tiemer
Sabrina Roach
Andrea Black
Andrea has supported children, teens, families and adults for over 20 years across community settings, doctor's offices, and schools. She believes healing happens through connection and relationship — which is why she brings her genuine self to each therapy session. Her approach is client-centred and strengths-based.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Anxiety Counselling
Often more easily than parents expect. A therapist who isn’t part of the family dynamic can be exactly the right person to talk to. The first session focuses on building comfort — there’s no pressure to dive into the hardest stuff right away.
What your teen shares is confidential, with specific exceptions for safety. We’ll talk through how this works at the start so you and your teen both understand the boundaries. Most teens are more open in counselling knowing it’s a confidential space.
It’s not unusual. Sometimes we’ll start with a parent consultation to talk through approach. Sometimes a single “just check it out” session goes better than expected. We can talk through your specific situation and what might help.
It varies — some teens see meaningful shifts in a handful of sessions, others benefit from longer-term work, especially when trauma or longstanding patterns are involved. Your therapist will talk with you and your teen about what makes sense.
We work with teens experiencing these struggles, and we’ll coordinate with you and any necessary supports. If your teen is in immediate crisis, call 911 or the Distress Line (780-482-HELP).