Therapy for Teens | Oakland, CA
Counselor for Teenagers in Oakland
Therapy for teens is more important in this day and age than ever. Cameron Murphey LMFT is a counselor for teenagers struggling after the COVID-19 pandemic. Using evidence-based treatments, Cameron helps teens to break free of their struggles, get back on track developmentally, and become thriving adults. Cameron acts as a neutral adult outside of the family to help teens talk through difficult situations, explore their values and life direction, and learn tools for handling difficult thoughts and emotions.
Therapy for Teens in Oakland
Cameron is a gifted counselor for teenagers 13 and older. Cameron has provided counseling to teens struggling with anxiety, depression, substance use, aggression, and juvenile delinquency. He has training in several effective models of teen counseling, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), DNA-v, and Multi-Dimensional Family Therapy (MDFT).
Because every teen deserves the tools to succeed.
Mental health is the foundation of every teen’s life. Let’s make it sound.
Therapy for teens can help with:
Anxiety
Worry
Overthinking
OCD (Obsessive compulsive disorder)
Irritability
Panic attacks / Anxiety attacks
Difficulties with peers
Mild to moderate substance use
Confusion and stress about life direction
Not knowing how to recognize or communicate their emotions
Benefits of Teen Therapy and Adolescent Counseling
Teens show many benefits from doing therapy. Common benefits include increased happiness, decreases in mental health symptoms, higher self-esteem, healthier selection of friends, improved academic performance, and more fulfilling relationships with family members. Therapy helps teens to better handle their emotions, improve decision making, and connect to their guiding values.
When teens have a space to explore who they are and develop their identity, they often start setting healthier boundaries with the people around them.
Healthy teens choose healthy friends who support them in their development into thriving adults. That’s why we help teens to heal and rediscover their best selves.
These benefits happen through both in person and online therapy.
How can therapy help my teen?
We help teens to better manage their emotions, solve their problems, and consider what choices they want to make based on what matters to them in life. We help teens strengthen their self-esteem, practice setting healthy boundaries, and improve their decision-making skills.
Teens who have worked with us have said that it has helped them greatly to have a space focused solely on their needs, and where they could explore and discover their true selves.
Many teens have told us that they can share things in therapy that they don’t feel comfortable sharing anywhere else. This helps teens to get their thoughts and feelings out into the open where they can talk it through with a healthy adult (the therapist).
When appropriate, we may request to meet together with the teenager and you as the caregiver. We have found that even a few family sessions can powerfully impact the individual therapy.
We use evidence-based therapy in our work with teens in Oakland, the greater East Bay, and online throughout the state of California. This means that the therapies we use are shown by research to be effective for a significant number of clients.
What is an adolescent therapy session like?
Every teen counseling session is different. Some sessions focus on what is going well in a teen’s life. Other sessions focus on what a teen would like to improve.
“In every session, I invite teens to talk about their experience, their thoughts, and their feelings. When teens feel heard and respected, they’re much more likely to open up and discuss their life.” - Cameron
Online Counseling for Teenagers
Online counseling for teenagers has been a lifeline for many teens in recent years. Most teens are open to online therapy, and some say they prefer it.
Benefits of online teen counseling include:
No travel time. Teens and parents have both reported that it is less stressful for them to have therapy provided online. This is especially true for teens and parents who have busy schedules.
Many teens prefer it. Most teens are comfortable with technology and communicating online. Many teens even find it easier to open up to a therapist from the privacy of their own home. According to recent research, 72% of teens said that they would use online therapy if they needed support. 32% of teens said they prefer online therapy over in-person therapy. (1)
A wider selection of therapists. When you’re not limited by driving distances, you can choose the therapist you want and feel comfortable with. We provide online therapy to teenagers throughout the state of California, whether it’s the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and so on.
Greater accessibility. Some teens struggle to leave the house. In these cases, in person therapy is not feasible. Online therapy offers a way for struggling teens to gain access to a quality therapist from their home.
As Teen Therapists, We Believe That…
All teens will heal and grow in the right conditions. Our job is to create those conditions.
All teens deserve a space where they can be listened to and heard.
A teen’s job is to take steps toward independence while still having active relationships with their family.
Teens have a right to privacy. What they share in the room stays in the room. (Exceptions include anything related to safety or abuse.)
Begin Teen Therapy in Oakland or Online
We have several therapists who specialize in providing therapy for teens. Follow these simple steps to get your child signed up for therapy today.
1
Book a Consult Call
Book a consultation call using the button below. In this free 20-minute call, you can tell us what your teen is struggling with and what your goals are for them.
2
Pick a Therapist
We’ll let you know which therapist we think is the best fit for your teen. The final choice is of course up to you.
3
Begin Therapy
Our therapist will meet with your teenager to begin the therapy process.