Therapy for Teens
Therapy for Teens in the Los Feliz & Atwater Village Areas of Los Angeles
Does This Sound Like You?
Your teen seems overwhelmed, anxious, withdrawn, irritable.
They put a lot of pressure on themselves academically, socially, athletically, or creatively
Your teen has difficulty talking openly about what they’re feeling or seems emotionally alone
They seem constantly worried about fitting in, falling behind, or disappointing people
They struggle with confidence, identity, friendships, motivation, or emotional regulation
You notice shutdown, avoidance, perfectionism, people-pleasing, anger, or isolation
Being a teenager today comes with a unique set of pressures. Social media, peer comparison, and the pressure to specialize early in sports, academics, or the arts can all become overwhelming. Therapy can help teens feel less alone while developing a stronger understanding of themselves and what they’re experiencing.
What’s Going On Underneath.
By the teenage years, many of us have already developed strong ideas about the role we need to play in order to feel valued. The achiever. The responsible one. The easygoing one. The funny one. The athlete. The caretaker. The “good kid.”
Often those roles contain real strengths. But over time they can also become limiting, exhausting, or disconnected from what a teenager is actually feeling underneath.
It’s common for teenagers to carry fears about not being enough, not fitting in, disappointing others or falling behind. Social media and peer culture can intensify those pressures, making it difficult to step outside constant comparison or performance. This is especially true when a teenager is questioning their identity.
In many ways, becoming a teenger is like the first day on the job of adulthood. On top of that, there are biological truths about adolescence that are important for learning and remembering life lessons, but in the moment, can make everything very intense and painful.
These strong emotions may show up as withdrawal, perfectionism, combativeness, procrastination, people-pleasing, or emotional shutdown. But these behaviors are less about defiance or laziness and more about a nervous system carrying too much pressure for too long.
Separately, for parents, raising a teenager can be both rewarding and disorienting. Many parents find themselves wondering what happened to the kid who looked up to me or at least listened to me every once in a while? When did my child become so reactive, and also, my height? Adolescence is a challenging time for parents as well. Learning how to stay connected while also giving their child the independence they crave is essential, but also incredibly nuanced.
How We Work With It.
I work to create an environment where teens feel respected, understood, and not talked down to. Therapy works best when teens feel like they can show up honestly without feeling judged, analyzed, or forced into being someone they’re not.
Sometimes our work involves helping teens put words to emotions or experiences that feel confusing, overwhelming, or difficult to explain. Other times we explore the pressure they’re carrying, the roles they feel stuck inside of, or the ways they’ve learned to protect themselves socially and emotionally.
I also believe therapy with teens benefits from flexibility, creativity, collaboration, humor, and genuine human connection. Depending on the teen, sessions may include conversation, creative exploration, metaphor, playfulness, insight-building, or helping them better recognize what’s happening internally in real time.
Over time, therapy can help teens feel more emotionally aware, more confident in themselves, more connected to their instincts, more able to state their needs and less alone in what they’re navigating.
A Place to Start.
Adolescence can be complicated, emotional, confusing, and full of pressure — both for teens and for the people who care about them. Therapy can offer a space where teens feel supported while developing a better understanding of themselves and their experiences.
I work with teens in the Los Feliz and Atwater Village areas of Los Angeles, and also offer online therapy for clients anywhere in California. Sessions are typically 50 minutes, and I offer both ongoing weekly work and shorter-term support around specific issues or transitions.
If you’re unsure whether therapy is the right next step, that’s completely okay — that’s often part of what we sort out together.
“Neil is a thoughtful, creative clinician who works especially well with men and teens. As a colleague, I see how his grounded, inventive presence gives clients space to be themselves while he skillfully notices and works with underlying patterns.”
“Neil is imbued with patience, intelligence, and warmth. He cares deeply about his clients, and is committed to helping them work through whatever they need.”
