Therapy for Teens in Guelph, Ontario
Counselling for youth and teens aged 11 to 17
Therapy for teens is for young people aged 11 to 17, with their own therapist & their own space to talk.
If you’re a parent reading this, something has probably changed. Maybe your child has stopped telling you things, or the bedroom door closes earlier every night. You’ve asked what’s wrong, but “I’m fine” is pretty much all you hear. Is it just teens being teens, or is it something deeper?
We connect your teen or tween with someone who isn’t a parent and isn’t a teacher, someone they can talk to without having to manage anyone’s reaction. (At Golden Horizons in particular, they might be happy just to talk to someone with sleeves full of tattoos.) Whatever they’re struggling with, whether it’s mental health, identity, trauma and relationships, or all of it, they can bring it here.
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Teen therapy here can include:
Anxiety about school and friendships, or just anxiety in general
Low mood that lasts longer than “a bad week”
Big emotions that arrive fast
Perfectionism
Friendships and first relationships
Self-esteem and identity
Grief after losing someone who mattered
Family tension, including tension with you
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Sessions are between your teen and their therapist. The first few are mostly about getting comfortable and starting to trust us. We might mix in drawing or movement, or keep it all conversation.
Your teen decides what to bring up and when. They can say the ugly version of something without getting a lecture, and we won’t dress anything up in therapy language. We’re not there to report back to you, and we settle the privacy question at the start, with everyone in the room.
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You may not be able to tell whether this is “just a rough patch” or something that needs therapy. Nobody is asking you to figure that out before you call. That’s what the first few sessions are for. There’s a lot to be said for an hour a week with an adult who can’t be disappointed or hurt by anything your teen says.
(By the way, if you’re a teen reading this, asking for a therapist yourself is allowed. You can show this page to your parents.)
Questions about therapy for teens in Guelph
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No, unless they ask us to. We make the rules very clear before therapy begins. Teens talk honestly when they trust that what they say stays in the room, so privacy is always the starting point. And if we ever have a serious concern about your teen’s safety, we will involve you.
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Sometimes, but your teen will always know about it. Some families bring everyone in for a session when something needs all of you in the room. Remember, though, that the therapist works with your teen first and foremost.
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A little. Eleven is the youngest we see, so alongside your child’s own sessions, we might suggest an occasional family session. We may also check in with you about how things are going, without breaking your child’s privacy.
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That’s common, and dragging a teenager into therapy mostly gets you a teenager who won’t talk. Start small. The first call is free, and your teen can join us on it so they can ask their own questions.
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Yes. Identity comes up often at this age, and nobody has to have it figured out before they start. Our 2SLGBTQ+ affirming therapy page covers more.
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It can be, and it’s one of the most common reasons families call. Our anxiety therapy page explains that work in more detail.
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For teens whose emotions run big and fast, we often turn to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), which teaches practical skills for handling big feelings while they’re happening. We use narrative therapy as well, which separates your teen from the problem. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy comes up a lot too, from age 11 on. Our DBT, narrative therapy and CBT pages offer more information on each approach.
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Sessions are 50 minutes. We book the full hour, and the last ten minutes are for the practical stuff, like payment and booking your next session.
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No. Teens can come to 15 Surrey Street West in Guelph, or meet their therapist over video from anywhere in Ontario or Alberta. Either works, and it doesn’t have to be the same every week.
