PARENT AND TEEN COUNSELING

Often it seems as if teens and parents speak different languages. It can be painful and frustrating to see your teenager shutting down, struggling with friends or relationships, or making risky choices.

Communication often becomes strained as parents' efforts at expressing love and concern can easily be misinterpreted. Parents often say they feel pushed away or cut off from their teenager, and teenagers can feel rejected, controlled, or misunderstood.

For most of my 25 years of clinical practice, I have been providing support to teens and their families. I am skilled at connecting with teens, creating a strong bond of understanding in which they feel respected and understood. I assist them to feel confident in identifying and appropriately communicating their needs and desires to parents, family and others. I work with parents to develop effective strategies for providing a loving, respectful, and structured environment in which rules are followed, and family members can enjoy a peaceful household.

Counseling to help Your Teens...

• Address Stress, Fears, Risky Behavior & Early Substance Abuse 

• Alleviate Depression and Anxiety

• Overcome Social, School & Legal Issues

• Manage Parents' Separation & Divorce

• Improve Self-Esteem & Personal Value

• Handle Adoption & Foster Care Concerns

• Deal with Blended Family Issues

• Manage ADHD, Behavior & Anger Problems

• Cope with Physical Hardships

• Address Teen Sexual Orientation Issues with Courage and Acceptance

I provide support and practical strategies to help you and your family effectively address life challenges. With compassion and understanding, I will help your teenager identify and build on those strengths and learn effective skills to address life's tough issues.

Family  Testimonial

"Our family has worked with Rusty over the past three years as we have navigated several issues surrounding our teenage sons. Rusty has the unique ability to listen to each member of the family's concerns and addressing them in such a way that real progress was made in improving our family's communication skills and providing the skills necessary for each family member to honestly discuss their concerns. In short, our family is healthier and happier because of our work with Rusty. We highly recommend Rusty if you are trying to work through the challenges of a family who has teenagers as they are learning to be independent individuals within the family dynamic." 

-Oak Grove Family