Summit Counselling Services — Specialty
Teen TherapyBeing a teenager has always been hard. Right now, it's harder than ever.
Adolescence is one of the most significant and complex periods of a person's life. Our registered psychologists specialize in working with teens aged 13–18 — offering a genuine, non-judgmental space to work through whatever they're carrying.
About Teen Therapy
Teenagers deserve real support.
Adolescence is a time of profound change — in identity, relationships, body, brain, and place in the world. Teens are navigating academic pressure, social complexity, family dynamics, and questions about who they are and who they want to become, all at once. That's a lot. And many of them are doing it without the language, the perspective, or the support to make sense of what they're experiencing.
Teen mental health concerns are not a phase to be waited out. Anxiety, depression, identity struggles, social difficulties, and the effects of trauma in adolescence have real consequences — on learning, on relationships, on the foundations being laid for adulthood. Early, skilled support makes a meaningful difference.
At Summit, our therapists who work with teens bring both genuine warmth and clinical skill. They understand adolescent development, they don't talk down to young people, and they know how to build the kind of trust that makes therapy actually work for a teenager. They also understand that the parents and caregivers in a teen's life matter — and they work to support that relationship while keeping the teen's autonomy and confidentiality central.
"Teenagers don't need to be fixed. They need a space where they can figure things out — with someone who actually gets it."
Signs a teen might benefit from therapy
- Persistent sadness, irritability, or withdrawal from family and friends
- Significant changes in sleep, appetite, or energy levels
- Declining grades or school refusal
- Excessive worry, panic attacks, or fear that interferes with daily life
- Difficulty managing big emotions — anger, shame, overwhelm
- Low self-esteem or negative self-talk
- Struggles with identity — who they are, where they belong
- Difficulty with peer relationships or social situations
- Experiences of bullying or social exclusion
- Navigating family conflict, separation, or significant change at home
- Exposure to trauma or difficult life events
- Questions about gender identity or sexual orientation
- Self-harming behaviours or thoughts of suicide
What We Work On
Common concerns in teen therapy
No two teenagers are the same. These are some of the most common areas our teen therapists work with — but if your teen's experience doesn't fit neatly here, that's okay. We'll meet them where they are.
Anxiety & Stress
Academic pressure, social anxiety, generalized worry, perfectionism, and panic — anxiety is one of the most common concerns in adolescence. Therapy helps teens understand what's driving their anxiety and build tools that actually work for their life.
Depression & Low Mood
Persistent sadness, hopelessness, withdrawal, and loss of interest in things that used to matter. Teen depression often looks different from adult depression — and it's often missed or dismissed. Skilled support matters.
Identity & Self-Worth
Who am I? Where do I belong? Do I matter? These are not trivial questions — they're the central work of adolescence. Therapy creates space to explore identity without pressure toward any particular answer, building a more grounded and compassionate relationship with the self.
Social Difficulties & Friendships
Peer relationships in adolescence are intense and complex. Navigating social hierarchies, conflict, exclusion, and the particular cruelty that can exist in teen social worlds is genuinely hard — and therapy can help build the skills and resilience to navigate it.
Family & Home Life
Divorce and separation, blended family dynamics, conflict with parents or siblings, a difficult home environment, or the stress of a family member's mental health or illness — teens are deeply affected by what happens at home, and therapy provides a space to process it.
Trauma & Difficult Experiences
Bullying, abuse, loss, accidents, witnessing something frightening — traumatic experiences in adolescence can have lasting effects. Trauma-informed teen therapy addresses these experiences in age-appropriate ways, building safety and resilience without retraumatization.
Gender Identity & 2SLGBTQIA+
Teens exploring or navigating gender identity and sexual orientation deserve affirming, knowledgeable support — free from judgment and without pressure toward any particular conclusion. Our therapists hold this space with care.
School & Academic Stress
School refusal, performance anxiety, learning difficulties, the pressure of grades and post-secondary decisions, and the overall overwhelm of academic demands — all are areas where therapy can help teens find their footing.
Emotion Regulation & Behaviour
Intense emotional reactions, difficulty managing anger, impulsivity, or behaviours that are getting in the way of relationships and daily life. Therapy builds practical skills for recognizing, understanding, and responding to big emotions more effectively.
How We Work
Therapy that actually works for teenagers
Teens are not small adults. The way a therapist builds trust with a 16-year-old is fundamentally different from how they work with a 40-year-old. Our teen therapists understand adolescent development — the developmental tasks of this period, the way identity and relationships function at this stage, and the particular sensitivities that come with it.
That means meeting teens where they are — not expecting them to fit a therapy model designed for adults. It means earning trust rather than assuming it. It means being honest, direct, and genuinely interested in the young person in the room — not just their presenting problem.
It also means being thoughtful about the role parents and caregivers play. Teens need to know their sessions are private — and they are, within the legal limits. Parents need to know enough to support their teen at home. Our therapists navigate that balance with care and transparency from the start.
The Process
What to expect from teen therapy
Every therapist and every teen is different — but here's how the process typically unfolds at Summit.
Initial Consultation
A free 15-minute phone call with a parent or guardian to discuss what's bringing you in, answer questions, and find the right therapist fit for your teen's needs and personality.
First Session
The first session is typically with the teen and parent together — so everyone can share their perspective, set goals, and understand how the process will work. The therapist will explain confidentiality clearly.
Individual Teen Sessions
Most sessions are one-on-one with the teen. This is their space — private, non-judgmental, and focused on what they need. The therapist leads; the teen sets the pace.
Parent Check-ins
With the teen's knowledge and agreement, brief check-ins with parents help maintain connection and ensure the family is supporting the teen's progress at home. The teen remains central throughout.
Therapeutic Approaches
How our teen therapists work
Our therapists draw on a range of evidence-based approaches — adapted for adolescents and matched to the individual teen, not applied generically.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
One of the most evidence-based approaches for anxiety and depression in adolescents. CBT helps teens identify the thought patterns driving their distress and build practical skills for responding differently — without requiring deep historical exploration before they're ready.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
Particularly effective for teens who experience intense emotional reactions, self-harming behaviours, or significant interpersonal difficulties. DBT builds four core skill sets: distress tolerance, emotional regulation, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Attachment-Based Therapy
Understanding how early relationships and current family dynamics are shaping a teen's sense of self, their relationships with peers, and their capacity for trust and connection. Particularly valuable when family relationship difficulties are part of the picture.
EMDR
Effective for teens who have experienced trauma — bullying, abuse, accidents, significant loss, or other difficult events. EMDR processes traumatic memories without requiring extended verbal retelling, which many teens find more accessible than talk-based trauma therapy.
Mindfulness & Positive Psychology
Building present-moment awareness and the capacity to manage stress without being swept away by it. Mindfulness approaches are adapted for teens — practical, accessible, and focused on skills that translate directly into daily life.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
A gentle, efficient approach to trauma and distressing memories that works particularly well with adolescents who find traditional talk therapy difficult. ART uses eye movement and imagery to process difficult experiences without extensive verbal processing.
Book a Session
Find us in Edmonton, St. Albert & Windermere
Teen therapy is available in person at all three Summit locations, with virtual sessions available across Alberta — including for teens who prefer the privacy of connecting from home.
Wîhkwêntôwin ᐄᐧᐦᑫᐧᐣᑑᐃᐧᐣ (Oliver)
Grandin Plaza, 2nd Floor
Edmonton, AB
Common Questions
Teen therapy — your questions answered
Our Therapists
Therapists who specialize in working with teens
The clinicians below specialize in adolescent mental health. Therapist fit matters a lot for teens — we recommend starting with a free phone consultation so you can find the right match before booking a first session.
Related Support
Other areas we work with
Your teen deserves real support. Let's find the right fit.
Your first consultation is free — a quick phone call to discuss your teen's situation, answer your questions, and find the therapist who's the right match. No commitment required.
We acknowledge that our practice is located in Treaty 6 territory, on the traditional lands of the Cree, Saulteaux, Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), Métis, and Nakota Sioux Peoples, including our Brewery District office in Wîhkwêntôwin ᐄᐧᐦᑫᐧᐣᑑᐃᐧᐣ (Oliver). We recognize that healing and reconciliation is a responsibility shared by all.