Adolescent Psychotherapy

Adolescence asks a person to figure out who they are while everything — body, friendships, school expectations, family roles — is changing at once. Parents reach out when a teenager becomes anxious, low, irritable, or withdrawn; when school pressure becomes overwhelming; or when conflict at home has replaced conversation. Sometimes adolescents reach out on their own, without parental involvement. Adolescent psychotherapy at Silm Centre for Mental Health gives teenagers a relationship that is theirs — a clinician who takes them seriously — while keeping parents appropriately in the loop.

What therapy involves

• Conversation-based sessions with the same clinician, at a pace the teenager helps set
• Clear agreements, made in the first sessions, about what stays between the teen and their clinician and what is shared with parents — and the safety exceptions to that privacy, explained to everyone up front
• Parent check-ins focused on progress and how to support things at home — only when appropriate — without turning the teen’s sessions into reports

Who offers adolescent therapy

Cost and first step

Sessions are $200–$300 per hour, depending on the clinician. The first step is a free initial consultation before you commit to anything.

These services are often covered by extended health benefits plans. Coverage depends on your plan and on the registration of the clinician providing your care — or, for clinicians working under supervision, their supervisor’s registration. We can help you check what to ask your insurer.

Learn more about supervision

Common questions

Will my teenager’s sessions be private?

Mostly, yes — and that privacy is protected on purpose, because teenagers do not open up in therapy they experience as surveillance. Parents may be told the goals, the general progress, and anything involving safety — though this is usually done with the teenager’s consent. Your clinician will set these expectations clearly with you and your teen at the start.

My teenager doesn’t want therapy. What can we do?

A reluctant teen is common, and a good first session matters more than a persuaded one. Start with the free consultation: we can talk about how our clinicians engage adolescents, and sometimes beginning with parent sessions is the right first step.

What ages do you work with?

Our adolescent clinicians work with teenagers roughly 12 to 17, and can continue to do so as your teenager gets older. Younger children are served through our child psychotherapy page, and young adults through individual psychotherapy.