Parent & Family Support In Philadelphia, PA
As a parent, it can be difficult to know when to step in, step back, or respond in helpful ways when your teenager is experiencing anxiety, OCD, or another mental health condition. When I work with a teenager, I often find that involving a parent strengthens the work we’re doing in therapy.
If your child is in therapy with me, you can periodically meet with me to help you better understand what your teen is experiencing, respond in ways that support treatment, and reinforce progress outside of sessions.
These conversations are part of the teen’s treatment and are not separate psychotherapy for the parent.
How Can Parents Support Their Teen While in Therapy?
Parents can play an important role in a teenager’s progress, particularly when symptoms affect their home life or relationship with the family.
Change is most effective when caregivers are supported and empowered, too. When clinically appropriate, I may periodically meet with a teen’s parents to help them understand the treatment process and identify ways they can support the work their child is doing in therapy.
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Better understand your teen’s symptoms and emotional needs
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Respond to difficult moments with greater confidence and consistency
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Reduce patterns that may unintentionally reinforce anxiety, avoidance, or conflict
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Support emotional regulation and growing independence
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Communicate in ways that support your teenager’s treatment goals
How Parents Can Support Their Child Through Different Conditions
Anxiety
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When a child struggles with anxiety, it’s natural for parents to want to protect or reassure them. While well intentioned, repeated reassurance or avoidance can unintentionally reinforce anxiety. Instead, parents can help support the strategies their teen is practicing in therapy.
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OCD
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OCD often pulls families into the cycle of compulsions through reassurance seeking or accommodation. Over time, this can make symptoms worse. Parents are welcome to consult with me to recognize these accommodation patterns and support the ERP work their teen is doing.
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ADHD
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Children and teens with ADHD often struggle with organization, follow through, emotional regulation, and impulsivity. I help parents understand their teen’s challenges, creating realistic expectations, supporting routines, and reinforcing strategies being developed in therapy.
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Depression
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Depression can cause children and teens to withdraw, lose motivation, or appear irritable. Parent can focus on remaining supportive and connected with their teen without creating additional pressure.
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Autism Spectrum Differences
Children and teens on the autism spectrum often experience sensory sensitivities, emotional overwhelm, and difficulty with transitions or communication. I help parents understand and support their teen’s needs.
Helping Parents Support Their Teen’s Progress
A teenager’s anxiety, OCD, ADHD, depression, or other challenges inevitably affect life at home.
I help parents understand what their teen is working on. This often makes it easier for them to respond consistently and support their teenager's progress between therapy sessions.
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Parent consultations may help caregivers develop:
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Greater confidence in their responses
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Fewer emotional escalations at home
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Improved communication and connection
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A clearer sense of direction and consistency
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Parent involvement may include:
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Periodic discussions about your teen’s treatment
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Occasional joint sessions with the teen when appropriate
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Education about your teenager’s symptoms and treatment
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Guidance for reducing unhelpful patterns that may interfere with progress
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Strategies for reinforcing skills the teen is developing in therapy
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Sessions are collaborative and judgment-free. My goal is to help you understand your teen’s treatment and identify practical ways you can support their progress at home and in the real world.
Online Family Support in Philadelphia and 43+ States
I provide secure online therapy for teens throughout Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, including Center City, University City, Rittenhouse Square, North Philly, and South Philly. I also offer online therapy in 43+ other states where I am authorized to practice.
When parent involvement is clinically appropriate, parent consultation can also take place virtually as part of the teen’s treatment. Online consultations are flexible and convenient for parents with a busy family schedule.
Get Help To Support Your Teen
If your teen is struggling with anxiety, OCD, ADHD, depression, or autism-related challenges, therapy can give them a place to better understand what they’re experiencing and develop skills for moving forward.
You're also invited to have discussions with me to get a clearer understanding of how to support the work your teen is doing.
Why should parents be involved in their teen's therapy?
What happens between therapy appointments can influence a teen’s progress. Parents may understandably respond to anxiety, avoidance, compulsions, emotional distress, or conflict in ways that provide immediate relief but unintentionally make certain patterns harder to change over time. Periodic parent consultation allows us to make sure the support your teen receives at home is working alongside (not against) the goals of therapy.
What might we discuss during a parent consultation?
The conversation depends on what your teen is working on in therapy. We may discuss: How anxiety, OCD, ADHD, depression, autism-related challenges, or other concerns are affecting your teen Ways to respond to difficult moments without unintentionally reinforcing avoidance or anxiety How to reduce reassurance or accommodation when appropriate Strategies for supporting routines, emotional regulation, and growing independence Communication patterns that may be contributing to conflict How to reinforce skills your teen is practicing in therapy The goal is to give you a clearer understanding of how you can support your teen without turning you into their therapist.
Will my teen join the parent sessions?
Sometimes. There may be situations where an occasional joint session with a teen and parent is clinically useful. For example, we may want to discuss a specific issue together, improve communication around a treatment goal, or make sure everyone understands how to support a particular strategy at home. These sessions are still part of the teen’s individual treatment rather than ongoing family therapy.
How does confidentiality work when parents are involved?
Teenagers need enough privacy to develop trust and speak openly in therapy. At the beginning of treatment, I discuss expectations around confidentiality and parent involvement so that both teens and parents understand how communication will work. When I meet with parents, the goal is not to provide a detailed report of everything their teen has discussed in therapy. Instead, our conversations focus on information that can help parents better understand their teen’s needs and support treatment outside of sessions. I also explain the limits of confidentiality at the beginning of treatment.
How often do you meet with parents?
There is no set schedule for parent consultations. Some teens may benefit from more parent involvement than others depending on their age, symptoms, treatment goals, and what is happening at home. Parent meetings may take place periodically throughout treatment when I believe they could help support the teen’s progress.
Do you provide therapy for parents, too?
No. When I’m working with a teenager, the teen is my therapy client. I may periodically meet with parents when their involvement can help support the teen’s treatment, but these meetings are not individual psychotherapy for the parent. Parent consultations are focused on helping you better understand what your teen is experiencing, how treatment is progressing in a general sense, and what you can do at home to reinforce the work we are doing in therapy.