Adolescent & Teen Therapy
Your teenager is struggling, and you can see it. The grades are slipping, the mood swings are escalating, and the child you knew is disappearing behind a wall you cannot seem to break through. We specialize in getting them the right help before things get worse.
These Are Not Just Growing Pains
Every teenager has hard days. But when the hard days become the norm, when your child's personality, performance, and relationships are deteriorating, there is likely something clinical underneath that requires professional intervention.
Academic Decline
Grades dropping, assignments not turning in, inability to concentrate. Teachers are noticing. What looks like laziness or defiance is often undiagnosed ADHD, anxiety, or depression eroding executive function.
Withdrawal and Isolation
They have stopped hanging out with friends. They are locked in their room. Conversations turn into one-word answers or explosive arguments. The connection you once had is slipping away.
Emotional Volatility
Mood swings that go beyond normal adolescence. Outbursts of anger, crying episodes, or an unsettling flatness where there used to be personality. These shifts signal a nervous system under stress.
Anxiety and Avoidance
Refusing to go to school, avoiding social situations, physical complaints before events. Stomachaches and headaches that have no medical explanation. The world feels overwhelming and they are retreating from it.
Waiting it out is not a strategy. Adolescent mental health conditions do not resolve on their own. They compound. Early, expert intervention prevents the academic failures, relationship damage, and worsening symptoms that come from hoping your child will simply grow out of it.
A Complete Approach for Adolescents
We do not offer one-size-fits-all teen counseling. Our practice provides the full spectrum of evidence-based services for adolescents, from diagnostic testing to therapy to advanced treatments most practices cannot offer.
Individual Therapy
Evidence-based psychotherapy tailored to adolescent development. CBT, ACT, and trauma-informed approaches delivered by licensed therapists experienced in working with teens and their families.
Ages 13-17ADHD Testing and Treatment
Comprehensive ADHD evaluation using TOVA continuous performance testing, Creyos neurocognitive assessment, and validated clinical instruments. Not a quick screening. A thorough, data-driven diagnosis.
Ages 13-17Medication Management
When medication is indicated, our board-certified psychiatric providers use GeneSight genetic testing to guide selection, minimizing the trial-and-error process that is especially frustrating for families.
Genetic-InformedNeuroStar TMS for Adolescent Depression
FDA-cleared for ages 15-21 as a first-line adjunct for Major Depressive Disorder. Non-invasive, no medication side effects, and proven effective when antidepressants have not provided adequate relief.
Ages 15-21 • FDA-ClearedHow We Work with Families
Treating an adolescent is different from treating an adult. The family system, developmental stage, and school environment all factor into the treatment plan. We account for all of it.
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Thorough Initial Evaluation
We assess the full clinical picture including mood, attention, anxiety, trauma history, substance use, and academic functioning. We use validated instruments appropriate for adolescents and gather collateral information from parents to build a complete understanding.
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Accurate Diagnosis
Teen ADHD, anxiety, and depression frequently overlap and are routinely misidentified. We differentiate using objective testing, not just a questionnaire. The right diagnosis from the start means the right treatment from the start.
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Individualized Treatment Plan
Based on the evaluation, we build a plan that may include therapy, medication management, or both. For teens with treatment-resistant depression (ages 15-21), NeuroStar TMS is a powerful option. Every recommendation is evidence-based and specific to your child.
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Family Collaboration
Parents are essential partners in adolescent treatment. We keep you informed and involved, provide guidance on supporting your teen at home, and coordinate with schools when appropriate. You are never left in the dark about your child's care.
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Measurement-Based Monitoring
We track progress using validated instruments at every visit. You and your teen see the data. If the approach is not working, we adjust quickly rather than waiting months to realize something needs to change.
Common Adolescent Presentations
ADHD
Inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, executive function deficits, and academic underperformance. Comprehensive testing differentiates ADHD from anxiety, sleep disorders, and learning disabilities that present similarly.
Depression
Persistent sadness, irritability, loss of interest, fatigue, and social withdrawal. Adolescent depression often presents as anger or defiance rather than the classic sadness adults experience.
Anxiety
School refusal, social avoidance, panic attacks, perfectionism, and somatic complaints. Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in adolescents and responds well to early, targeted intervention.
Trauma
Bullying, family disruption, abuse, accidents, and loss. Teens process trauma differently than adults and require age-appropriate, evidence-based approaches delivered by experienced clinicians.
Frequently Asked
What age range do you treat?
We provide therapy and psychiatric services for adolescents ages 13-17, with parental consent required for minors. For NeuroStar TMS treatment of adolescent depression, we treat patients ages 15-21.
Will I be involved in my teen's treatment?
Yes. Parents are essential partners in adolescent care. While your teen's sessions are confidential, we maintain regular communication with parents about treatment progress, goals, and strategies for supporting your child at home. Safety concerns are always communicated immediately.
My teen refuses to go to therapy. What do I do?
Resistance is common and does not mean treatment will not work. We are experienced in engaging reluctant teens. A parent can start the process by reaching out, and our team can help strategize how to introduce treatment in a way your teen is more likely to accept.
How do I know if my teen needs medication?
Not every teen does. Our evaluation determines whether therapy alone is sufficient or whether medication would meaningfully improve outcomes. When medication is indicated, we use genetic testing to guide selection and monitor closely with validated instruments at every visit.
What insurance do you accept?
We accept Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Harvard Pilgrim, Tufts, Point32 Health, and self-pay. Our team verifies your benefits before your first appointment.
Can my teen be seen via telehealth?
Yes. We offer telehealth appointments throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire for therapy and medication management. In-person visits are available at our Duxbury and Boston Back Bay locations. TMS therapy requires in-person sessions.
Your Teen Needs Help. You Found It.
The sooner treatment begins, the better the outcome. Our team is ready to evaluate your child, build a treatment plan that fits, and start making things better for your entire family.
Get Started Today →