Am I screwing up my kid?

Counseling for Kids and Teens

Your kid is hurting and they won't let you in. Or they've changed, and you don't know when it happened, or why, or how to ask without it becoming a fight. Or something happened, and you can see them carrying it, and every time you try to help you watch them close a little further.

You've probably already run the questions. Is this normal, or is it something. Did I cause this. Am I overreacting, or am I missing something serious. Should they be talking to someone who isn't me.

Sometimes the answer is yes, they should, and that's not a failure on your part. There are things a kid will say to a stranger in a quiet room that they will never say across the dinner table, and that's not about how much they love you. It's about how much they're protecting you.

Who we work with

Kids and teenagers dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, big changes, friendship and social stuff, school pressure, identity, self-esteem, anger they can't explain, and the shutdown where a kid who used to talk just stops.

We don't do ABA or autism-specific behavioral therapy, and if that's what your child needs, we'll say so and help you find the right place. What we do is talk-based therapy for kids and teens who are struggling with something and need a person outside the family to help them carry it.

What it actually looks like

Younger kids don't process by sitting still and discussing their feelings, so we don't make them. The work happens through play, through activities, through the side door, because that's how kids actually let things out. It can look like they're "just playing." They're not. That's the therapy.

Teenagers get treated like the near-adults they are. No talking down, no tricking them, and, honestly, no performance. A teenager can spot a fake adult across a parking lot, and the second they clock a therapist doing the calm-professional act, they're gone, they'll nod and say what gets them out of the room and tell you nothing. Our office has a robot vacuum that's been stuck in the same doorway for a week and an office that's still half-painted, and part of why that matters is that a kid walks in, sees we're actual humans and not a beige performance of one, and something in them unclenches. That's not decor. That's the thing that lets a guarded teenager decide, maybe, to talk. Nobody here is going to flinch at what your kid brings in, and kids can tell in about four minutes whether an adult can handle the real them. Which brings up the hard part.

The confidentiality part, honestly

For therapy to work, your teen has to trust that what they say stays in the room. That means we can't tell you everything they tell us, and that's uncomfortable, because you're their parent and you're worried and you want to know.

Here's the deal we'll make with you. We keep your kid's confidence so the work can happen, and we break it the moment there's a genuine safety issue, if they're in danger, or someone's hurting them, or they're a danger to someone else, you will know. Short of that, we protect the space, and we'll help you stay connected to your kid without making us the reporting channel. It's a hard trade and it's the one that makes the therapy work.

If it's really about the family

Sometimes a struggling kid is carrying something that belongs to the whole family, and the most effective thing isn't to send the kid off to be "fixed" but to work with the family together, or with you.

If the honest answer is that the whole household is caught in a pattern, family therapy works with everyone in the room at once. If it's more that you need to understand and reach your kid, and they don't need to be there for that, parent counseling is work with you about your relationship with them. We'll be straight with you about which your situation actually needs. Sometimes it's the kid. Sometimes it's the system around them. Often it's both.

We see kids and teens in our Greeley office and by telehealth across Colorado, including Loveland and the surrounding area.

Frequently asked

How do I know if my kid needs therapy or if this is just a phase?
Often you can't tell from the inside, and that uncertainty is itself a good reason to get an outside read. A consultation can help you figure out whether this needs support or whether you can breathe. You don't have to be sure before you reach out.

My teenager refuses to go. What do I do?
Common. Sometimes it helps to start with you, the parent, and take the pressure off them, which is part of what parent counseling is for. Sometimes a kid who won't do "therapy" will meet someone once when it's framed as their space, not a punishment. We can talk through how to approach it without turning it into another fight.

Will you tell me what my kid says?
Within limits. We keep their confidence so the work can happen, and we always tell you if there's a safety concern. We'll walk you through exactly how that works before we start.

How long does it take?
Depends on what your kid is carrying. Some come briefly, some longer. We check in on progress and won't keep them past the point of usefulness.

Do you take my insurance?
Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare and Optum, and every Colorado Medicaid plan, with a sliding scale for private pay. Check your actual per-session cost in about thirty seconds, no phone call.