Guides
Family Therapy or Individual Therapy for a Teen?
The first question is what needs attention, not which family member is the problem.
Start Here
The short answer
Individual therapy centers a teen’s own concerns. Family therapy looks at how family members communicate and respond to one another. Family work sometimes includes individual time with different members alongside full family sessions, so the choice is not always either one or the other.
At a Glance
Two Ways to Think About It
Individual Therapy
- Who attends
- The teen has time focused on their feelings, worries and goals.
- Focus
- Personal coping skills, anxious thoughts, low mood or a difficult change.
- Family involvement
- We discuss appropriate involvement and privacy rather than assuming every detail will be shared.
Family Therapy
- Who attends
- Two or more members of a family unit work together.
- Focus
- Conflict resolution, communication building and coping skill development.
- Individual time
- Some meetings may include individual work with different members in conjunction with the full family sessions.
One Option
When individual time fits
- Your teen wants room to talk about experiences they find hard to discuss at home. Their goals should have a place in deciding how care begins.
- Worry or a life change seems central, even when family relationships are generally steady. I ask about the whole picture before suggesting a direction.
Another Option
When family work fits
- Arguments repeat around the same rules, expectations or handoffs. Several people want to change how the conversation goes, not just change the teen.
- Family members hear the same event differently. Working together can give us a chance to practice listening and requests while those differences are present.
Working Together
How I can help
My background includes family work. I listen to the teen and the adults without making one person responsible for every difficulty. We can discuss who should attend during the consultation.
I use CBT to examine thoughts and DBT to practice skills for intense feelings and communication. Sessions last 45 to 50 minutes by video. Each person needs privacy and enough attention for the conversation.
Family TherapyIf you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988, or call 911.
Your Own Priorities
Questions to ask yourself
- 1.
Whose goals have we heard, and whose have we not asked about yet?
- 2.
Is the main difficulty personal distress, a repeated family pattern or both?
- 3.
Could each person take part without feeling pressured to agree with everyone else?
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How do we decide where to start?
Will parents hear everything?
What are the fees?
Let’s hear what each person needs.
A consultation is a place to ask about the starting point, without deciding alone.