teens

Teens

a structured approach. a short-term commitment.

I love working with teenagers. They are open and receptive, quick and willing to change. Because they are young, they have not been destroyed by years and years of undue suffering. Once they realize what needs changing, they approach change enthusiastically.

Without therapeutic guidance, the teenage years tend to be the most difficult for teenagers and parents alike. Hormone changes, a still-developing brain, and identity issues, contribute to these challenges. Most teens, while seeking independence, feel misunderstood and confused, while simultaneously confronting issues of identity, peer relationships, sexual behavior, drinking and drugs.­

As a parent, you may experience frustration and anger when your teen no longer seems to respond to parental authority. You may find that your methods of discipline that worked well in earlier years have become ineffective. You may feel frightened, even helpless, about the choices your teen is making. As a consequence, the teen years are ripe for producing conflict in the family.

Your teen may demonstrate a variety of warning signs, indicating that he or she is in need of help. These signs include aggressive behavior, depression, violence, self-cutting, alcohol or drug use, detachment from friends and family, promiscuity, school truancy, brushes with the law and runaway behavior. Keep in mind that the symptom is never the problem.

This is a collaborative process between therapist, teen and the teen’s family. Teens are given the respect and opportunity to talk about what’s happening from their own perspective. Parents get the same opportunity. We put these stories together and find the intersections, from which is built mutual understanding and corrective behavior.

The focus is geared towards changing your teen’s detrimental thinking into positive thinking that magically creates positive behavior changes. It allows teens to identify and assess their limitations while taking an exciting, step-by-step journey into themselves.

This process helps them to discover who they are presently and who they want to become in the midst of all of life’s confusion and demands. I developed the process in 1994 and have seen it create magical change in people’s lives. My work with teens is the most rewarding of my career.

how does my process work?

Teenagers love technology. They also love storytelling. My process uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) at its centerpiece. It incorporates media tools and combines your teen’s natural interest in storytelling with their easy relationship with technology. It helps your teen recognize his/her weaknesses and strengths in this very moment.

Your teen will make self-videos where they reveal their thoughts and feelings about a particular problem or concern. Together, we view the video and your teen gets to see, firsthand, their faulty thinking at work.

Using CBT, I will guide your teen in how to “de-construct” the original, detrimental thinking and replace it with workable thoughts that build their self-esteem, expand their identity, and increase their joy of living, overall.

Throughout this process, your teen learns that, not only are they the lead character in their own life story, but they are also the head writer and producer.  I have seen this process yield what I would call rewarding results, time and time again.

Schedule an Appointment

Counselors

Viviane Hens
678-908-6219
vivianehens@icloud.com

Ana Maria Storino
404-635-8629
anamaria@aic.center

Address

3133 Maple Drive NE, Suite 110
Atlanta, GA 30305

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