Adolescent Therapy
Support for Teens Navigating Stress and Emotional Growth
Adolescent therapy with Dr. Sisk provides teens with a warm, grounded, and nonjudgmental environment during one of the most complex and emotionally demanding stages of development. Many teens struggle with academic pressure, shifting friendships, identity questions, family conflict, anxiety, depression, or self-criticism. Therapy offers them a space where they feel respected, understood, and supported in exploring these experiences.
Dr. Sisk's Approach
Building trust is central to effective adolescent therapy. Many teens are cautious about opening up, especially when they fear judgment or misunderstanding. Dr. Sisk takes time to build rapport, earning trust through patience, respect, and emotional attunement. She adjusts the pace of therapy to the teen’s comfort level, ensuring they feel agency in the process.
Her work integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Family Therapy. CBT helps teens understand how thoughts influence feelings and behaviors, giving them tools to reframe negative self-talk, challenge fears, and build self-confidence. DBT strengthens emotional regulation, decision-making, and distress tolerance—skills that are crucial during emotionally intense moments. Family Therapy improves communication, reduces conflict, and helps caregivers understand their teen’s emotional experience more clearly.
Why Therapy is So Important for Adolescents
Therapy supports teens navigating perfectionism, high academic expectations, peer dynamics, social anxiety, bullying, changes in identity, shifting friendships, and first romantic experiences. Teens learn grounding techniques, coping strategies, and emotional awareness skills that help them manage frustration, sadness, anger, or uncertainty with more confidence.
Identity development is a core focus of adolescent therapy. Teens often wrestle with questions about who they are, what they value, and how to balance independence with connection. Therapy provides a stable space to explore these questions thoughtfully and safely, while supporting healthy boundaries and self-expression.
Family Involvement
When appropriate, parents are included in the therapeutic process—strengthening communication, reducing misunderstandings, rebuilding trust, and improving family dynamics. Parents often learn how to support their teen in ways that feel validating rather than reactive.
By the end of treatment, teens develop greater resilience, emotional awareness, and a stronger sense of themselves. They leave therapy with tools that help them navigate challenges more effectively and step into adulthood with confidence and clarity.