Does your teen need therapy?

Deciding if therapy is the best path for your teenager can be difficult. Once the decision is made it can be even more difficult to find a teen therapist in Birmingham, Alabama. After searching the internet, asking friends and family for recommendations, or getting referrals from your own therapist, you have finally found someone you think your teen may feel comfortable with. Now you are left with a lot of questions, one of which might be, what are the “right” questions to ask? Here are some common questions our teen therapists often get asked.

Common Questions for Teen Therapists

How can therapy help my teenager?

This is a great question! We want to start by saying, we believe in the service we provide! Therapy can benefit your teen because it allows them a place to go where they feel safe and supported. It is also a place where they won’t feel the weight of additional expectations on their shoulders that often come from wanting to please their parents, family, and friends.

How can therapy help the relationship between me and my teen?

A therapist provides a fresh perspective and voice for you and your teen. Do you feel like you and your teenager are always having the same conversations about cleaning up after themselves, which leaves you both feeling frustrated and getting nowhere? What if you both took the time to take a breath and communicate more effectively? Who knows, you might find a better understanding of one another and come up with a plan to improve these situations moving forward.

My teen thinks they can just talk to their best friend. How do I help them understand why they need to come to a therapy session?

This is an important question! Explain to your teen that their best friend often has their own filters and feelings about the situation that they cannot put aside. Only an unbiased, trained third party can look at the situation and help them learn to grow and make the changes they are looking for.

My teen doesn’t talk about their feelings much. How can you help them?

It can be difficult to get teenagers to open up to their parents for a variety of reasons. As therapists, we are able to talk to them more directly and treat them as young adults. We also don’t dictate the rules in their daily lives, so there is no fear of consequences or disappointment. This often allows them to feel more open and honest. 

Why does my teen need weekly therapy sessions?

Weekly appointments are so important and we believe they are key in our work with teenagers. Why? Because we don't want them in therapy forever but, as therapists, we know it is helpful to go through the highs and lows of their life and relationships.  Oftentimes when a teen comes in and says, “I had a good week. I don't know what we are going to talk about.”, those are the times we can do the deeper, more transformative work because they are not highly anxious or discussing the crisis of the week.  This is where your teen and their therapist build real trust. And more importantly, research says weekly appointments will help your teen get to their goals much faster than coming inconsistently.

Why is teen therapy so expensive?

We have taken a lot of training and spent a lot of time, money, and energy on our education, supervision, and continuing education learning more and more about how to help teenagers through the struggles they face.  We actually love learning about teens and how to create rich, deep, meaningful lives.  We don't cringe when we look for continuing education in this area, we seek it out because being competent therapists is so important to us.  But because of this time, energy, and training we do, we believe our sessions are an investment in your teenager!

Do you take insurance for teen therapy?

We believe there should be no stigma in seeking counseling. However, we also believe one reason therapy is so powerful is because it is a truly private experience. Sparrow Counseling is an out-of-network provider for some insurance plans. We can provide you with a Superbill for you to seek reimbursement from your insurance company.  Privacy is very important to us and it is for this reason (and many others) that we decline to be an in-network provider for any insurance company.  As an out-of-network provider, we maintain the power to determine what is the best treatment for your teenager rather than being dictated to by an insurance company.  If your teen needs 2 sessions a week, longer sessions, or to bring in a family member that is not a problem because we work independently of insurance companies.  We can also process payments via Health Savings Accounts.

How long are the therapy sessions for my teen?

Sessions last 55 minutes.  When we are getting close to the end of our time, your teen will be directed by their therapist to begin wrapping up and finding their takeaways from the time together.

Will you meet with my teen only, or will you meet with parents as well?

We like to meet with the parents first to hear the strengths and concerns about their teen. We will discuss what confidentiality means with parents so they are clear that the trusted therapeutic relationship between a therapist and a teen is key to the success of therapy.  With that said, parents are welcome to email us with concerns, but parents should not expect a response from our therapists. Parents also need to know that it does take time to build a trusting relationship before your teen feels confident and safe to share with their counselor. Including the family is an important part of our process.  So every 5 sessions we schedule a family session to check in with the family as well as create a safe place for the teen and family to communicate with each other. 

What happens if my teen leaves the session feeling frustrated or unheard?

Well, maybe the therapist did a good job challenging your teen.  Or maybe their therapist really didn't hear them.  Whatever the issue, it is our hope and belief that what counseling can do if nothing else is to teach your teen how to step into uncomfortable conversations and how to give and receive feedback, meaning talk to their therapist about their feelings.  If your teen can’t give feedback to their therapist about how they made them feel or if they don't feel heard then it may be time to look for another therapist.  We would caution you and your teen that feeling heard and agreeing with them are two different things.

We hope this helps you find the right teen therapist in Birmingham, AL. If you are still feeling stuck, feel free to call Sparrow Counseling for a free 15-minute phone consultation. We’d be happy to hear about what is happening and help direct you to the right therapist. 

For more information about teen therapy with Sparrow Counseling, visit our Teen Counseling Service Page.