Teen/Parent Counseling
I'm so glad you reached out. I LOVE guiding teenagers and their parents. That's why I've been specializing in guiding teenagers and their parents for 30+ years.
The #1 reason for a teenager's success in counseling isn't how many letters a therapist has behind his/her name, but rather, how well that therapist is able to connect with that teenager.
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"It doesn't matter how much you know,
until they know how much you care."
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I love getting to know teenagers and young adults, and helping them understand themselves and how the world works. In most cases, I'm able to get relatively rapid results because, once they figure out what they need to do to get what they want (which often means doing what the adults in their world want), they often move forward somewhat rapidly.
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David is the counselor for teens/young adults and parents who struggle with a variety of issues including:
Anxiety
Depression
ADHD
Relationships
Grade Issues
Motivation
Reviews
My mother recommended that I speak with David during a period of extreme darkness in my life. It was the best decision I ever made.
This man has taught me and helped me through so much, and because of that I am able to write this review after just celebrating my 20th birthday.
Words cannot describe the value of this mans knowledge or the immensity of love for what he does. Thank you.
- Anonymous
Teen/Parent Counseling FAQ's
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What do you charge for counseling? Do you have a sliding fee scale?
Currently, I charge $225/hour for marriage sessions and $200/hour for individual sessions.
If, however, your gross family income is less than $100,000 annually, then my rate is $200/hour; if less than $75,000 gross family income annually, then my rate is $180/hour.
Do you take insurance?
I prefer to spend 100% of my time helping my clients rather than dealing with insurance companies. So while I do not deal with them directly, I can provide paperwork for you to submit a claim to your insurance company if you'd like. I have been told by several of my clients that they have been reimbursed 70%-80% of the charge towards their out of network deductible (i.e., if they paid me $200 and were reimbursed 80%, the session cost them $40).
How do you do counseling with a teenager?
Counseling a teenager is all about the relationship. Connecting with the student and earning their trust is critical. Thus, I am keenly aware of how that teenager is feeling and how I can build the best rapport possible. As such, there is no “cookie cutter” way I handle teenagers and their parents; each situation is different.
Sometimes I’ll talk to the parent(s) in the first session to get a more complete understanding of the issues and learn about the student and his/her family. Other times it’s better if I speak with the teenager first to develop trust and hear “their side” of the story first. On other occasions, especially when a teenager is nervous about coming to counseling, I’ll speak with both the teenager and the parent together until the teenager is comfortable enough to speak with me without their parent.
In future sessions, I frequently speak primarily with the teenager him/herself but I normally like to include the parent in some sessions as I see most parents as an integral part of the solution. I love to collaborate with parents whenever possible. Note, however, that I adhere strictly to confidentiality, meaning that unless the child is in danger of harming him/herself or others or being harmed, I don’t share confidential information with parents unless their student grants me permission to do so … which does occur in many cases.
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