Teen Therapists in San Diego, CA
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Merav Segall
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I meet the child,
adolescent
and family where they are and help to build skills and bring joy to their relationships.
Do you and your child struggle to get through the day? Are you frustrated with your child's behavior and just do not know how to get him to listen? Are you and your
teenager
on different pages and just cannot connect? Has your child experienced a trauma, death or divorce? My approach to helping you and your child is warm and collaborative. I focus on developing a relationship; seeing your child, understanding him and providing space for her to explore and express. My goal in working with families is to bring joy into parenting.
Waitlist for new clients

Joseph Pando
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified
Verified
It is common to experience bouts of anxiety, depression, grief, or feelings of helplessness and hopelessness during life. However, these are not issues to suffer through for the rest of your life. My aim is to work collaboratively with you to develop insight into your struggles and nurture innate strengths to help overcome these challenges. I have over ten years of clinical experience treating a variety of psychological difficulties such as addiction, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, ADHD, child/
adolescent
issues, anger management, relationship issues, and performing psychological and learning disability/ADHD assessments.

Jared Wilke
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified
Verified
I specialize in individual, family, and
adolescent
therapy.
Jared Wilke, Psy.D., is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in the state of California. He is currently practicing at Family Counseling Center, which has served the North County community in outpatient counseling for over 25 years. Dr. Wilke enjoys working with teenagers and young adults, their families, as well individuals and people seeking marital therapy. **Please note that currently for residents of Texas, I am only able to do appointments by video/phone. These options are also available for residents of California if needed or requested.

Mary Elaine Heard
Counselor, MA, LPCC
Verified
Verified
I have twelve years of experience serving adults, children, and families with a variety of presenting problems. Issues most often addressed in my practice relate to: Anxiety, Panic, and Avoidance; Depression; Traumatic Experience; Child/
Adolescent
Issues including Divorce Adjustment; and Parenting.

Madeline Polonia
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified
7 Endorsed
Verified
7 Endorsed
I am a kind, supportive and engaged therapist that can help your
teen
achieve his/her goals.
Are you often worried about school or work and feel stressed and overwhelmed with your responsibilities? Do you struggle to communicate what you need with your friends and family? I want to help you decrease your struggles in navigating your daily stressors and responsibilities. I will encourage you to make self-care a priority and practice coping strategies that will help you experience less stress and find more peace and joy in your life.

Jamila Mahfudh
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
9 Endorsed
Verified
9 Endorsed
Making the first step when you or your
teen
is in this difficult place isn’t easy, but even now you are one step closer to where you want to be.
When did the light in your eyes disappear and the weight of these worries set in? You are sensitive, feel misunderstood and won’t open up to just anyone. You need someone to connect with you or your
teen
, who joins your world in a down-to-earth way, and supports you in regaining that spark of life again. I am a Geek Therapist who works with teens and adults who feel unseen, like they don't fit in, and don’t easily trust helping professionals and want something to be different in their lives.

Pacific Marriage & Family Therapy Network
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Verified
Our wide variety of specialties includes Depression, Anxiety, Eating Disorders, Addiction, Panic Attacks, Grief and Loss, Trauma, Child and
Teen
Behaviors, Family Issues, Couples, Divorce, Co-parenting, Communication, Dating, Life Transitions, LGBTQIA+, Racial/Ethnic Identity, and clinicians who are trained in EMDR, CBT, IFS, ERP, ACT, and Brain Spotting.
Pacific MFT Network is a group of highly skilled, diverse, and well-trained therapists. Our mission is to empower you to live the life you want. We do so by creating supportive, caring, and non-judgmental relationships with our clients. We work to provide you with the best care possible and reduce obstacles to participation. Additional benefits to working with us include a unique concierge billing service and a wide range of scheduling options (all weekdays, weekends, day and evening appointments are available). We work with children, teens, and adults of all ages.

Shaylyn Miller
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, AMFT, APCC
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
I work with children, adolescents, and adults. My areas of expertise include children and
adolescent
development, tech addiction and women who have experienced relational trauma.

Adia Nembhard
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I have several years working with the
adolescent
population supporting trauma work, effective stress management, coaching on assertive communication skills and teaching healthy coping skills.
As a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, my practice is open to a diverse population ranging in ages and ethnicities. I invite clients to join with me to conquer unhealthy patterns and crutches which create feelings of being stuck, defeated and helpless. In therapy, clients will work towards creating a stronger, more confident and independent self. Treatment goals targeting symptoms of anxiety, depression and addressing conflictual relational patterns will ensure a happy and healthy life. My goal is that all of my clients feel 100% supported and confident that they are reaching their goals.

Alexa Rabin
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I treat a wide range of mental health concerns, including Anxiety and Stress, Mood disorders and Depression, Trauma, Relational problems, LGBT individuals, Life Transitions,
Adolescent
Issues, Childhood Acting Out Behaviors, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Career issues, and Personal Growth needs.
If you are someone who is seeking support and guidance, I am here to help. My work as a psychologist takes a collaborative and supportive approach. I aim to help clients develop insight and awareness to create the changes they want to make, to help them reach their goals, and to help them build a happy and healthy life. When you come in for your first session, we will identify together your specific needs and begin to determine how we can accomplish your unique goals. I work with clients of all ages in individual and family therapy.

Vangie Akridge
Educational Psychologist, PsyD, LEP
Verified
Verified
Being a
teenager
can be hard and being a parent of a
teenager
can be challenging. Knowing that we all desire for children to be emotionally well adjusted and academically successful, it is sometimes necessary to seek support. I am available to support your family through the journey of adolescence and can provide you with valuable information about your child's learning abilities and emotional functioning and tools to navigate the education system. You are not alone. I am here to support you.

Alfred D Brown
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
I learned a great deal about varied
adolescent
experiences.
First, I strive to create a safe environment where the client feels heard, understood and supported. The compasionate use of 'unconditional positive regard' guides my work. This is a well proven healing factor in the therapeutic relationship. I believe my clients grow strongest by finding their own path through their unique inner landscape.

Nicole Guzman
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
We will work with you and or your child/
teen
step-by-step to address your goals and truly believe that practice makes perfect.
I am a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in treating children, adolescents, and young adults. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a minor in Applied Developmental Psychology from UCLA. I also hold a master’s and doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and have over 20 years of experience working with children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and a variety of other presenting issues. For the past several years, I have served as a Subject Matter Expert for the California Board of Psychology.

Emma Porterfield
Psychologist, PsyD
Verified
3 Endorsed
Verified
3 Endorsed
Wondering if I could be a good fit for your
teen
and/or family therapy needs? Please don't hesitate to reach out! I'm happy to provide consultations to parents, and teens are invited to participate in these conversations whenever possible.
Teenage life can be hard to understand, even when things are going well. Offering individual therapy for teens and pre-teens. Family therapy or parenting training available as well. All of us are living on a spectrum of surviving---------thriving. Whether you need support just getting through each day, or things are more stable and you're looking to grow, I'm here to support you wherever you are at!

San Diego Kids First
Psychologist, PhD
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
Every child is unique. To help children overcome social, emotional, behavioral, developmental, and/or academic challenges, we can't be preoccupied with simply signing labels. Rather, we need to identify a child's individual strengths as well as their weaknesses in order to design effective strategies that suit their needs. We work closely with parents, schools, and other professionals to establish a comprehensive picture of the whole child. It's from this highly individualized approach along with the collaboration with those that know the child/
teen
well, that we are able to create the most significant and dramatic change!

Blooming Behavior Services
Michelle Felix, MEd , BCBA
1 Endorsed
1 Endorsed
If your child or
adolescent
has difficulty attending to a task this could affect their social skills, learning new topics, and/or adaptive skills.
Was your child recently diagnosed with Autism, at risk for Autism, intellectual, developmental, neurological disability, and/or has comorbidity diagnosis? Do they have difficulty completing daily life skills, in school, or making friends? If so we would love to help you and your family by creating tailored treatment goals that have lasting change.

Janel Bituin
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Verified
Janel Bituin is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has experience working with individuals, families, children, and adolescents of diverse, multi-cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds. Janel takes a client centered approach and utilizes various methods of therapy that allows them to feel safe and heard in session while helping them to manage life's many stressors. Janel has experience in treating depression, anxiety, grief and loss, trauma, ADD/ADHD, child/
adolescent
issues, and other mood related disorders in both telehealth and outpatient settings.

Jack Gallagher
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, ACSW
Verified
Verified
At Pacific Beach Health I offer individual and family sessions for adult and
adolescent
clients with substance use, mood, thought, behavior, and personality disorders. I believe that healing is a collaborative process that requires empathy and caring without judgment. I assist clients in identifying their treatment goals. Rather than adopting one methodology for all individuals and issues, I integrate various modalities to create an individualized approach for each client and situation. I consider myself an active therapist, combining life experience, education, creativity, and humor with a grounded and realistic approach.

Grow Through Life Counseling: Kids, Teens & Family
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
5 Endorsed
Verified
5 Endorsed
Concerned about your child or
teen
? We help children and teens with a wide range of problems including: acting out, low grades, wrong peer group, noncompliance, recent changes, blended families, post divorce needs. We work with: ADHD, Learning Disorders, Autism, and Asperger's. Often, families are an important part of the treatment process. We help parents struggling with behavioral problems and create effective treatment plans. We have helped thousands of families and are confident we can help you. Our practice is focused on making positive steps forward in goal setting, self-esteem, and emotional regulation.

Shannon Lopynski @ Grow Through Life Counseling
Pre-Licensed Professional, APCC
Verified
5 Endorsed
Verified
5 Endorsed
Are you worried about your child or
teen
? You are in the right place. Our practice specializes in their care! I have worked as a clinician meeting the diverse needs of children, adolescents, adults, and families, working with a variety of different backgrounds, cultures, and socioeconomic status’. My clinical approach is trauma-informed, solution-focused, and strengths-based, focusing on the whole person. I have experience treating a wide range of issues including but not limited to, executive functioning challenges, anxiety, depression, anger, bullying, suicidal ideations, grief and family changes.
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Teen Therapists
What does therapy for teenagers look like?
When a therapist works with a teenager, the pair will talk about what the teen is struggling with and explore solutions, which may involve interpersonal skills, coping strategies, medication, or lifestyle changes related to sleep, diet, and exercise. Different therapists employ different modalities, but most involve a combination of conversation and skill building.
How long does therapy for teenagers generally take to work?
There’s variability in teenagers’ experiences and challenges; some may begin to improve from therapy within a few weeks while others may take several months or longer. Teens can discuss their progress with their therapist periodically to assess how they’re improving and any changes to the treatment plan that could potentially accelerate that progress.
How do you encourage a teenager to go to therapy?
It’s helpful to express your concern and love while framing therapy as an opportunity to explore a tool that could help improve their life; just like they practice baseball or dance, now they can practice their emotional skills. Give your teen control over the process where you can—maybe by weighing in on choice of therapist and signaling that therapy involves confidentiality, so a parent need not know all that is discussed in sessions.
How do you prepare teens for therapy?
You can prepare your teenager for therapy by describing what the process will look like and setting expectations for timeline, if requested. You can explain that the first session may begin with an assessment phase, that they can describe their experiences but that the therapist will ask questions too, and that it may take time to feel comfortable opening up. Ask how they’re feeling about the process and answer any questions calmly and supportively.