When it comes to making sense of adolescent behavior, Dr. Dan Siegel is an expert on interpersonal neurobiology. I recommend reading his book to the parents and adolescents I work with.
Having spent a good portion of my professional career specializing in working with teenagers, I have a unique passion for working with this age group. I have worked with teens since 1987 in county, educational, and private settings. Historically, I have specialize in working with adolescents who have and/or are experiencing depression and anxiety.
Treatment specialization includes:
Depression & Mood disorders
Anxiety (test taking, separation, worrying too much, somatic symptoms, OCD, social anxiety, panic attacks)
Transitions from home to college
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Grief & Loss Counseling
Teens of Divorced & Blended Families
Family Conflict
Bullying and Peer Issues
Stress Management
Identity Development
Self-Harm & Self-Mutiliation
In addition to my professional training and experience, I have raised two teenagers and I know first hand about power struggles, which enhances my ability to empathize with parents who are in the throes of it. I have now turned my work to specializing and providing couples therapy and I no longer provide therapy to adolescent however I am available to consult with parents who are struggling with their tween/teen. The best gift to give your teen is a healthy marriage/relationship.
ADOLESCENT BRAINS ARE WORKs IN PROGRESS
According to the American Psychological Association, the fact that the teenage brain is still growing came as a surprise to research scientists. Although they knew that the brain of a baby grew by over producing synapses, or connections, they had not known that there was a second period of over production. In a baby, the brain over produces brain cells (neurons) and connections between brain cells (synapses) and then starts pruning them back around the age of three. The process is much like the pruning of a tree. By cutting back weak branches, others flourish. The second wave of synapse formation described by Giedd showed a spurt of growth in the frontal cortex just before puberty (age 11 in girls, 12 in boys) and then a pruning back in adolescence. Even though the brain of a teenager between 13 and 18 is maturing, they are losing 1 percent of their gray matter every year. The teenage brain is not fully developed until around the age of 26.