Child and Adolescent Mental Health 

Prior to your first appointment, parents and teens receive links to the online client portal in order to complete intake forms. This will allow the therapist to get to know more about you and familiarize them with your needs. The first session is a joint session that begins with the teen and parents together. The therapist will review the completed forms with you and will answer any questions you may have. The therapist will then spend the next portion of the session getting to know the teen and talking with them about their concerns.

Yes, in general, the law protects the confidentiality of all communications between a client and a therapist. No information is disclosed without prior written permission from the client. You should be aware, however, that if you use insurance benefits to pay for all or part of your therapy, some information about your treatment will need to be reported to your insurer.
In addition, there are some special circumstances in which the law requires therapists to break confidentiality. These exceptions include:
1. If you present a danger to yourself, to others, to property, or are unable to care for yourself.
2. If there is suspected past or present child, dependent, or elder abuse or neglect.
3. If the court orders a release of information as part of a legal proceeding, or as otherwise required by the law.

We will always tell the parents, as is required by law, if we believe the teen is a danger to themself or others. It is important that teens have a safe, private space to work on their goals. For therapy to be successful, teens must be able to speak freely, without feeling like what is shared will be directly shared with their parent(s). Therefore, if we see a teen for individual therapy, we will not disclose information to the parents without the teen’s consent unless we believe that the teen is a danger to himself or others. We encourage the parents to call us with any questions or concerns throughout the course of treatment.

Teen therapy sessions are typically 50 minutes in length. The length of treatment depends on the concerns presented and the severity. Each teen has different circumstances and the number of sessions you’ll need will depend on your particular situation and the therapist’s recommendation. The first few sessions will focus on assessing strengths, mental health needs, personal goals and developing an effective treatment plan. Therapy typically begins with meeting weekly and gradually reduces as symptoms subside.