Meet a few therapists who work with teens
You can name a therapist or ask intake for help with a match. Age range, clinical fit, payment and appointment options are confirmed individually.
Emily Sullivan
LCSWWorks particularly with teens and young adults, including people grieving suicide or other traumatic deaths.
Christine Meusz
LSWWorks with teens and young adults on depression, life stress, complex trauma and identity exploration.
Ellis Matthews
LPCWorks with people ages 14 and older and has experience with relationship trauma, self-injury and LGBTQIA+ concerns.
If you are a parent or caregiver
Maybe your teenager gradually stopped talking at dinner, began spending more time alone or lost interest in things that used to matter. Or something happened suddenly: a call from school, a conversation that worried you or something you found on their phone.
You do not need to settle on a diagnosis before reaching out. You can start with what you have noticed and what your teenager says is happening.
Signs it may be time for support
More privacy, changing friendships and occasional mood shifts can be part of adolescence. Consider how long a change has lasted, how intense it is and how it affects school, home, friendships or everyday activities. A persistent change deserves attention, but a teen does not have to wait two weeks or reach a crisis to ask for help.
Changes worth discussing include sadness or irritability, withdrawal, losing interest, major shifts in sleep or appetite, falling grades, school avoidance, risky behavior or feeling hopeless. No single sign tells you the cause. Ask about the teen’s experience and seek an assessment when you are concerned.
Source: NIMH: Child and adolescent mental health
In the CDC’s 2023 survey, 40 percent of US high-school students reported sadness or hopelessness lasting at least two weeks during the past year that stopped their usual activities. The figure was 53 percent among female students and 65 percent among LGBTQ+ students. These survey responses show a need for support; they are not individual diagnoses.
Source: CDC: Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2013–2023
What therapy can offer
Therapy offers time with an adult whose role is different from a parent, teacher or coach. A teen can bring questions, disagreements and feelings they have not been able to discuss elsewhere.
In our relational psychodynamic approach, the therapist pays attention to the teen’s emotional life, relationships and what happens between them in sessions. The work may include understanding recurring patterns and practicing ways to manage distress. Treatment choices should fit the concern, the teen’s preferences and the clinician’s training.
Research supports psychodynamic therapy as one option for some adolescent difficulties. The IMPACT trial studied 470 adolescents with major depression and did not find the specialist CBT or short-term psychoanalytical treatments superior to a brief psychosocial intervention on its main depression outcomes. A 2021 review also found evidence of benefit across youth studies, while noting limitations in study quality. These findings do not mean that every approach works equally well for every concern.
Sources: IMPACT trial: therapies for adolescent depression · Midgley et al.: Psychodynamic therapy evidence review
Parent involvement, consent and confidentiality
Teens are the primary client in individual sessions. We encourage caregiver sessions alongside their work and may recommend family sessions when helpful. The plan should account for the teen’s needs, privacy, safety and family circumstances.
In Pennsylvania, a teen ages 14 to 17 can consent independently to outpatient mental health treatment. A parent or legal guardian can also consent on a minor’s behalf. Independent consent under Act 65 does not require a parent’s permission or automatically require notifying a parent. For a 13-year-old, intake will discuss the appropriate consent arrangements with the family.
Sources: Pennsylvania DHS: Act 65 of 2020 · Pennsylvania Act 65: statutory text · Pennsylvania DHS: Consent to treatment FAQ
Privacy is not the same as a promise that nothing will ever be shared. A parent or guardian who consents has a right to information needed to make treatment decisions. Records releases, safety concerns, suspected abuse and other legal obligations also affect what may be shared. The therapist will explain the rules that apply and discuss a communication plan with the teen and caregiver.
For older teens, we ask them to participate actively in decisions about therapy and encourage caregiver participation when appropriate. If using family insurance or shared contact details could create a privacy concern, raise that with intake before submitting sensitive information or billing insurance. Ask about communications, records and the information an insurer may send.
Source: HHS: Mental and behavioral health information
If you are a teen reading this
You do not have to know what to say. Maybe you are anxious all the time, disconnected from friends, angry without knowing where to put it, or unsure why someone suggested therapy. You can start there.
You can ask what therapy is for, tell your therapist something is not working or say you are not ready to talk about a subject. Building trust can take time. Your therapist should take your views seriously, including when you disagree.
Before you share something sensitive, you can ask, “Who could hear about this, and when?” Your therapist will explain privacy and its limits, how caregivers may be involved and what happens if there is a safety concern. The rules depend in part on your age, location and consent arrangements.
Sources: HHS: Mental and behavioral health information · Pennsylvania DHS: Act 65 of 2020
Why support during adolescence matters
Adolescence is a period of continued brain development, learning and change. Planning and decision-making abilities are still developing, and relationships, sleep and stress all matter. Teenagers also differ from one another; brain development does not explain every feeling or decision.
Source: NIMH: The teen brain
Support now can help a teen understand what they are experiencing and develop ways to respond. There is no single window after which therapy stops being useful, and no need to describe a struggling teenager as having a broken or unfinished brain.
Concerns teens bring to therapy
Several concerns may overlap. Intake and your therapist can discuss whether our outpatient care fits your needs.
Anxiety
A tight chest before school, hours spent rehearsing conversations or worry about being watched and judged can make everyday life difficult. We can explore what is happening and discuss appropriate care. New or unexplained physical symptoms also deserve medical attention.
Depression
Sadness, irritability, exhaustion or losing interest in things that once mattered may be reasons to ask for an assessment. A therapist can help distinguish depression from other possible explanations and discuss a treatment plan.
Self-harm and suicidal thoughts
Self-harm deserves a serious, nonjudgmental response. A clinician can assess safety, discuss a safety plan and determine whether outpatient therapy or more immediate or intensive care is needed. An appointment inquiry does not provide immediate safety or crisis care. If there is an injury, overdose or immediate danger, seek emergency help now.
Sources: NIMH: Child and adolescent mental health · 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Identity exploration
Questions about gender, sexuality, race, culture, values and belonging can be part of therapy. LGBTQIA+ teens may also be coping with discrimination, stigma or fear of rejection. You can discuss identity without being pushed toward an answer.
LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy Identity exploration
Family conflict
Arguments about privacy, expectations and independence can feel hard to resolve. Therapy can help a teen understand their own experience and discuss communication or boundaries without making them responsible for the whole family. Safety concerns need attention of their own.
Social media and technology
Online life can bring friendship and support as well as comparison, bullying, upsetting content or pressure to stay available. We can explore what happens before and after time online, including effects on sleep, mood and relationships, and discuss changes that fit the teen’s life.
Source: US Surgeon General: Social media and youth mental health
Academic pressure and school avoidance
Falling grades or difficulty attending school can have many explanations, including anxiety, depression, bullying, learning needs, sleep or circumstances at home. Therapy can help explore these concerns; school supports or another assessment may also be useful.
Grief, loss and trauma
A death, violence, family change or another upsetting experience may affect a teen’s sense of safety and connection. A trauma-informed approach makes room for the teen’s account and pace, with treatment and other supports chosen around their needs.
PTSD and complex PTSD therapy Grief and loss therapy
What the first session can look like
The first session usually includes time with the teen and caregiver together and time for the teen to speak separately. Your therapist will explain the plan, consent and confidentiality, including situations where a different arrangement is appropriate.
Nobody is expected to share everything at once. You can talk about what brought you here, what has or has not helped before, and what you hope might change. The first meetings are also a chance to consider whether the therapist and treatment feel like a useful fit.
Appointments in Old City or by video
Our office is at 123 Chestnut Street, Suite 304, in Old City, Philadelphia. Visits are by appointment. Individual sessions are 53 minutes and usually meet weekly.
If more frequent sessions would be useful, discuss frequency, fit and availability with your therapist. Video appointments depend on where you are physically located during the session and on the clinician’s authorization to practice there. Ask intake about Pennsylvania or New Jersey options.
Plan your office visit About telehealth
Getting started
Our short adaptive form asks about what brings you to therapy, your schedule, and insurance or self-pay preferences. You can name a therapist or ask for help choosing.
Our intake team reviews each inquiry and aims to reply within 1 to 2 business days. We discuss fit, scheduling and payment before an appointment is arranged. Sending the form does not reserve an appointment.
How getting started works Meet our therapists Contact us
Costs and insurance for teen therapy
Individual-therapy fees generally range from $130 to $200 per session. Confirm your appointment fee with intake. With insurance, your cost depends on the specific plan, clinician, service and any deductible, copay or coinsurance.
Turning Leaf works with select Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare and Optum plans. The Blue Cross plans listed on our site include Highmark, Capital, Anthem, Anthem New York (formerly Empire), FEP and Horizon NJ. A carrier name alone does not confirm that an appointment is covered. Intake can help check your expected benefits and costs.
Coverage depends on the specific plan, clinician, service and medical-necessity requirements. If a teen is covered through a family plan, ask intake and the insurer about benefits, billing and privacy before using that coverage.
Independence Blue Cross, including Keystone Health Plan East, and Cigna are out of network. If your commercial plan has out-of-network benefits, we can provide a superbill on request. Ask your insurer about reimbursement rules and your share of the cost. Pennsylvania VCAP is a separate victim-compensation program; ask intake about using approved assistance for therapy.
We are not accepting new clients enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid, including Medicare Advantage, Pennsylvania Medical Assistance and NJ FamilyCare, even if they wish to pay privately. Please ask your plan for participating therapists. Existing clients whose coverage changes should contact their therapist and intake team.
Plans and coverage details Rates and payment options Pennsylvania VCAP Medicare and Medicaid policy
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my teenager needs therapy or counseling?
Consider persistent changes in mood, sleep, eating, friendships, school or daily activities, as well as what your teen tells you. You can seek an assessment without knowing the cause. Do not wait for a two-week threshold when there is self-harm, a safety concern or a need for urgent help.
Is what my teen says in therapy confidential from parents?
Privacy has limits, and the rules depend on age, location, consent arrangements and the situation. In Pennsylvania, ages 14 to 17 may consent independently to outpatient mental health treatment; parents or guardians may also consent. A consenting parent has rights to information needed for treatment decisions. Ask the therapist to explain records, safety disclosures and the communication plan before sharing sensitive details.
Sources: Pennsylvania Act 65: statutory text · Pennsylvania DHS: Consent to treatment FAQ · HHS: Mental and behavioral health information
Do parents participate in teen therapy sessions?
Individual sessions center the teen’s experience. Caregiver sessions and occasional family sessions may be helpful, with involvement discussed in light of consent, privacy, safety and clinical needs. Your therapist will explain how information and recommendations can be shared.
How does teen therapy differ from adult therapy?
Teen therapy takes account of development, school, peers, family and increasing independence. The therapist works with the teen’s goals and communication style and discusses caregiver involvement. No assumption is made that every teen is less able to trust or that every difficult feeling is caused by brain development.
Source: NIMH: The teen brain
How long does teen therapy typically take?
Length and frequency depend on the concern, goals and progress. Some work is focused; some continues longer. Your therapist will discuss an initial plan and review it with you. If the teen or caregiver feels worse, stuck or concerned about the work, bring that up so the plan can be reviewed.
Source: NIMH: Psychotherapies
Can teens do therapy via telehealth?
Video sessions may be an option when they fit the teen’s needs and there is a suitable private setting. The teen must be physically in a place where the clinician is authorized to practice. Ask intake about Pennsylvania or New Jersey options, consent arrangements and a plan for interruptions or urgent concerns.
Do you accept insurance for teen therapy?
We work with select Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare and Optum plans. Benefits and costs depend on the specific plan, clinician and service. Independence Blue Cross and Cigna are out of network. We are not accepting new clients enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid, even if they wish to pay privately. Existing clients whose coverage changes should contact their therapist and intake team.