Preteen & Teen Therapy
Williston, Vermont · Telehealth throughout Vermont
You’re caught between holding them accountable and knowing they already feel like they’re failing
You’ve asked them to pick up their clothes for the 5th day in a row (maybe the 300th).
Part of you wants to ask again.
Another part wants to quietly do it yourself because you know the look that crosses their face when one more reminder feels like proof that they can’t get it right.
Parenting can start to feel like Groundhog Day.
You remind them. They get frustrated. You get frustrated. And tomorrow, somehow, you’re right back in the same place.
Sometimes preteens and teens need someone who isn’t their parent—someone who can help them feel understood, make sense of what’s hard, and find their own way forward.
Parents often call when something has started to feel different
Does school suddenly feel harder?
Are everyday tasks - homework, chores, or even getting out the door -turning into an ordeal?
Do small mistakes or disappointments seem to hit much harder than you would expect?
Are you seeing more irritability, shutdowns, or big reactions and less of the kid you’re used to seeing?
Have they pulled away from friends, activities, or things that used to make them light up?
Maybe you already know that ADHD, anxiety, depression, or executive function challenges are part of what’s happening.
Understanding why they’re struggling doesn’t mean you aren’t worn down by it.
Both things can be true.
Sometimes “I don’t care” means something else
Avoidance can look like laziness.
Anxiety can look like irritability.
Overwhelm can look like shutting down.
Fear of failing can look like refusing to try.
Depression can look like sleeping, scrolling, withdrawing, or snapping at everyone nearby.
And ADHD can create a frustrating gap between:
“I know what I’m supposed to do”
and
“I can’t actually make myself do it right now.”
Therapy gives us space to understand what’s underneath the behavior—not simply add another consequence, reminder, or lecture.
If you’re the teen reading this
You don’t have to come to therapy ready to tell me everything.
I’m not going to spend our first session immediately digging for the hardest thing that’s ever happened to you.
And therapy doesn’t need to feel like another meeting where adults talk about everything you’re doing wrong.
We’ll start by getting to know each other. You can tell me what you like, what annoys you, what matters to you—or nothing particularly deep at first.
Trust takes time.
Once we know each other better, we can start figuring out what would actually help.
What does preteen & teen therapy look like with me?
My style with preteens & teens is warm, conversational, practical, and genuine.
Humor is welcome. Silence is okay. Not knowing what to talk about is okay.
Being skeptical about therapy - or being skeptical about therapy - is also ok too.
Over time, we may work on anxiety, executive functioning, uncomfortable emotions, communication, self-criticism, or whatever is making life harder.
But we don’t have to rush there.
Relationship first. Then we build from it.
What progress can look like
Going to the class they’ve been avoiding.
A missing assignment doesn’t turn into a week of shutdown.
Catching frustration before it becomes a blowup.
Saying, “I’m anxious right now,” instead of immediately believing the worst-case scenario.
Talking with family again.
Feeling more capable, less alone, and more like themselves.
Those shifts matter.
You don’t have to know whether therapy will work yet
A free 15-minute consultation gives us a chance to talk about what you’ve been noticing, answer questions, and see whether I may be a good fit.
If you’re the preteen or teen: you don’t have to be convinced about therapy before we meet.
We can start with a conversation.
In-person preteen & teen therapy in Williston, Vermont · Telehealth throughout Vermont
Wayfinder Counseling VT is not a crisis service. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988- the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or in an emergency call 911.