Teen Therapy in Greensboro, NC

If you’re a parent reading this, something is probably worrying you. Maybe your teenager has stopped sharing things with you. Maybe they used to always come to you when they felt sad, worried, or felt a bit off. You’ve noticed that things have shifted. For some parents, the change is seen at school. Grades slipping.

As a counselor, I’ve spoken to parents who started counseling because they found something on their teen’s phone that made their stomach drop. I’ve worked with parents who have shared that their teen has told them they’re struggling and the parent didn’t know what to do next.

The important thing is that you are here and moving in the right direction. Santos Counseling provides teen therapy in Greensboro, NC for ages 13–19, with licensed therapists who know how to actually connect with teenagers. Not just talk about them. We offer in-person counseling at our Greensboro office and secure online therapy anywhere in North Carolina, in English and Spanish.

Reaching out for teen therapy is not overreacting. It’s exactly what a good parent does when they see their kid struggling.

When to Consider Therapy for Your Teenager

I’m sure that you have had hard days and maybe even challenging weeks with your teenager. Not every hard week means your teen needs therapy. Teens, like adults, are going to experience feelings. Sometimes loudly. Teenagers are supposed to be moody, weird, self-conscious, and dramatic sometimes. To be honest, that’s just part of development, not pathology.

Below are patterns that, as a counselor, I want to share with you. These are often patterns that suggest it’s time for professional counseling support:

• Change that lasts more than two weeks. This change can be seen in mood, sleep, appetite, energy, or social behavior that shifts significantly and doesn’t shift back.
• Withdrawal from things that used to matter. You may notice that your teen is no longer wanting to be connected with friends, sports, hobbies, or family. They overall pull away from it.
• Grades falling for reasons you can’t explain.
• Anxiety that’s affecting school attendance or daily functioning. You may notice that your teen’s grades are going down, they are skipping classes, or not engaging in the class.
• Talk of self-harm, hopelessness, or not wanting to be here (Please know that this is not a “wait and see”. We encourage you to call us or a crisis line today).
• Substance use, disordered eating, or risky behavior. This is also an important area to seek support and not wait.
• A big life event. As a counseling practice, we notice that big life events like divorce, death, a move, bullying, a breakup can impact your teen. You may notice that they shut down, have a hard time expressing feelings appropriately, and simply don’t know how to move through the big life event.
• Identity questions they can’t safely explore at home.
• They asked for it. If your teen tells you they’d like to talk to someone, take it seriously. That’s rare, and it’s important.

If you’re not sure whether it’s “bad enough” to warrant therapy, please contact our office. Schedule one session to explore what is taking place. It may lead to one session being all that is needed. Therapy works better before a crisis than during one. If you’re wondering, it’s worth the call.

What We Treat: Common Reasons Teens Come to Therapy

• Anxiety. Common ways that anxiety shows up in teens include panic attacks, school avoidance, social anxiety, and chronic worry
• Depression. Common ways that depression shows up in teens include low mood, hopelessness, loss of interest, sleep and appetite changes
• ADHD. At Santos Counseling, we offer ADHD counseling as well as ADHD evaluations. Executive functioning, school struggles, emotional regulation (we also offer ADHD evaluations for kids and teens)
• Self-esteem and body image
• Bullying. We continue to see bullying taking place in person and online. 
• Family conflict. This can include divorce, blended families, high-conflict households
• Grief and loss. Big events like the death of a parent, grandparent, sibling, or friend can significantly impact teens mental health.
• Identity development. Including LGBTQ+ identity, cultural and bicultural identity
• Trauma. Including abuse, accidents, and community violence
• Substance use
• Life transitions. Going to a new school, moving, parents’ divorce, senior year, and post-high-school anxiety. All of these life transitions can impact your teens mental health.
• Academic pressure and perfectionism

How Teen Therapy Works at Santos Counseling

Our counselors at Santos Counseling actively engage in developing supervision and ongoing training to enhance their clinical work in teen therapy. This includes meeting teenagers where they are, building trust before pushing, and knowing how to work with a client whose brain is literally still under construction.

Our teen therapists use evidence-based approaches including:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for anxiety and depression
• Trauma-focused CBT for teens who have experienced trauma
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills for emotional regulation and self-harm
• Motivational interviewing for teens who aren’t sure they want to be there
• Family systems approaches when family dynamics are part of the picture
• Emotionally Focused Therapy to support with vulnerability and attachment

Sessions at Santos Counseling are typically weekly at first. Length of treatment varies as each time often has unique goals. Some teens work through a specific issue in 8–12 sessions; others benefit from longer-term support, especially through major transitions.

How Our Approach Is Different

As counselors, we approach teen therapy through a holistic and evidence-based lens. This means that we remember what it was like being a teen. We study the brain and understand the changes that take place. We research the impact of anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions to effectively show up for our clients. We work with teens and parents.

• Real conversations, not lectures. Teens can smell a lecture from three rooms away and they will often not want to be a part of it. Our therapists don’t lecture.
• Confidentiality that’s real and explained clearly. Your teen needs to know what they can say safely. Parents need to know what will and won’t be shared. We explain both — to both of you — in the first session.
• Bilingual and bicultural. We provide teen therapy in English and Spanish, and we understand the specific pressures of growing up in a bilingual or immigrant family.
• Neurodivergent-affirming. Several of our clinicians are neurodivergent, which matters especially for teens with ADHD, autism, or learning differences.
• Local, not a telehealth call center. Your teen’s therapist is here in Greensboro and Winston Salem. They know GCS and WS community. They know what senior year at Greensboro Day, Western Guilford, Grimsley or Ragsdale actually looks like. They can hand you off to local psychiatry, IEP support, or medical care when needed.
• Coordinated care. We work with your teen’s pediatrician, school counselor, or psychiatrist when appropriate (with your permission).

For Parents: What Your Role Looks Like

At Santos Counseling, we actively build an approach that focuses on the genuine care and treatment that lasts. We work with parents as an essential part of the teen therapy process. 

• Parents meet with the therapist at the intake counseling session to share history, current concerns, and goals
• Your teen’s individual sessions are their space. We create multiple spaces so that you as the parent have a space to share what is taking place and your teen has their private space. At times we may bring both together to address certain areas and goals. Content is confidential except for safety concerns (see below)
• You’ll have periodic parent check-ins. The parent sessions are your space to give us updates on family life, what you are noticing about your teen, and for the therapist to share their feedback. Separate from your teen’s sessions further help to discuss progress and coordinate strategies at home
• Family sessions may be scheduled when family dynamics are part of the work

What Your Teen Can Expect in the First Session

For your first session at Santos Counseling, you’ll come in together. The therapist will explain how therapy works, including the confidentiality piece, so everyone’s on the same page. Then you’ll step out, and your teen will have their first individual session with the counselor.  This is a warm conversation, not a pop quiz. They’ll leave with a sense of the person they’re working with and whether it feels like a fit.

Most teens are more nervous than they let on. Most feel a lot better after the first session than they expected to.

Online Teen Therapy Across North Carolina

Santos Counseling is located in Greensboro for those who prefer to visit our physical location. We offer online teen therapy anywhere in North Carolina. All you need is an internet connection, and you can work with your therapist using our HIPAA-compliant platform. For a lot of teens, video sessions can actually work better than in-person. They’re on their own device, in their own space, and they don’t have to sit in a waiting room where they might see someone they know.

Frequently Asked Questions About Teen Therapy