Teen Therapy

I do the trauma work others avoid

I spent eight-plus years in residential treatment with the most complex teen cases. Self-harm and suicidality don’t make me pull back from the work.

A lot of therapists keep a teen in stabilization forever – you can coping-skill yourself to death. I keep the real trauma in view.

I use TF-CBT or EMDR to help your child’s brain file what happened so it stops ambushing them. DBT teaches them to ride the wave instead of drowning in it.

I’m a fighter. I’ll fight for your child when they can’t, and I’ll fight for you.

I work with the whole family, not just the teen

This isn’t an hour where your kid talks and you’re left guessing. I give you concrete parenting tools and help you rebuild connection.

I’m direct. I’ll tell you a hard truth other therapists won’t, and I’m nurturing right alongside it.

Together, we work so you can:

• Learn how to talk to your child again, instead of bracing for the next blowup.
• Get real parenting tools built for kids who’ve lived through trauma.
• Stop walking on eggshells and start enjoying your kid again.
• Trade the monthly two-line update for genuine family work.

My three phases for healing your teen

Building the foundation

First we build your child’s skills and knowledge: who they are, how trauma hit them, and healthy coping. They get steady enough to do the hard work.

Going through the muck

Now we process the trauma itself – the hard work that was too scary to face until now. This is where the real change happens, and the trauma stops running their life.

Planning for the future

We map out their triggers, how to manage them, and who belongs in their support system. We build connections and reasons to look forward, so they get a future worth dreaming toward.

Why families trust me with their teens

I’m licensed in both Iowa and Illinois and work online and in person, so your teen can get consistent care wherever you are. I’m trained in TF-CBT, EMDR, and CPT, and I use TBRI and attachment-based family therapy to help you parent a child who has been through trauma.

Trauma is not your child. It is not all they are, and it is not all they can be.