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Teen Therapy in Sacramento, CA

A supportive space for teens to explore identity, navigate emotions, and develop lifelong coping skills.

therapist's couch against a white wall
Student Using Phone

Teen therapy isn’t about “fixing” your teen. It’s about helping them understand themselves, develop emotional language, build confidence, and learn skills that support them now and into adulthood.

Understanding When Your Teen May Need Support

Sometimes growing up feels overwhelming... for teens, and for the adults who love them.

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Reasons to get your teen therapeutic support:

 

  • Your teen seems more withdrawn, irritable, or distant

  • School has become a struggle

  • There’s been a sudden shift. For example: new behaviors, bigger emotions, or challenges they can’t seem to name.

 

Whether the changes are gradual or abrupt, it can be painful to watch your teen struggle and not know how to help.


The good news: you don’t have to navigate this alone.

 

Teen therapy offers a compassionate, structured, and developmentally appropriate space where adolescents can learn how to express themselves, build emotional resilience, and feel more grounded in who they are.

Who We Help

We offer teen therapy in-person in Gold River, CA and via telehealth for clients throughout California.

At Humanistic Counseling Collective, we provide teen therapy for adolescents in Sacramento and surrounding areas. We also offer virtual therapy for teens statewide in California.

 

We help teens who are navigating:

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  • Anxiety, stress, or emotional overwhelm

  • ADHD symptoms, impulsivity, or difficulty focusing

  • Irritability, anger, or mood swings

  • School refusal, academic struggles, or motivation challenges

  • Friendship, belonging, and peer stress

  • Identity exploration (gender, sexuality, values, boundaries)

  • Effects of family changes: divorce, custody shifts, moves

  • Trauma, bullying, or feelings of isolation

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Whether your teen is struggling quietly or expressing distress loudly, therapy can offer the tools, support, and connection they need to thrive.

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You don’t have to wait until things feel “serious enough.” Support can begin now.

How Teen Therapy Supports Healing

At Humanistic Counseling Collective, we combine evidence-based interventions with a humanistic, person-centered philosophy. This means we treat teens with dignity, not as "problems to solve." We build trust first; interventions come second. We honor autonomy; teens decide the pace and depth. We collaborate with parents, schools, and care teams when appropriate. We don't push or pressure; rather, we allow safety and connection to guide progress.

Our therapists are trained in modalities that support adolescent development, including but not limited to:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Helps teens notice and shift unhelpful thoughts, emotions, and behaviors so they can cope with stress, improve confidence, and build healthier patterns.​​​​

Trauma-Informed Care

Provides support that prioritizes safety, trust, pacing, and consent. This approach is especially helpful for teens who have experienced instability, loss, or trauma.​

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Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Skills Training

Teaches practical tools for managing big emotions, improving communication, reducing impulsive behaviors, and navigating conflict more effectively.​​​​​​

Motivational Interviewing

A respectful, teen-friendly approach that helps adolescents explore ambivalence and build internal motivation for change without pressure or judgment.​

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Mindfulness & Emotion Regulation

Helps teens slow down racing thoughts, connect with their bodies, and learn skills to calm anxiety, overwhelm, or shut-down responses.​​​

Play-based or Creative Interventions

Incorporates art, games, movement, and creative expression for teens who communicate or process emotions best through activity rather than conversation (when developmentally appropriate).​

Parent Training & Family Systems Support

Supports caregivers in understanding what their teen is experiencing, improves communication at home, and equips families with strategies that strengthen connection instead of conflict.​

We meet teens where they are, whether they communicate best through words, music, art, stories, humor, or quiet reflection.

What a Teen Might Experience in Therapy

Sessions are typically 50–53 minutes and can be held in person at our Gold River office or virtually anywhere in California. Therapy sessions are structured to feel safe, predictable, and relational, not clinical or intimidating.

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A typical session may include:

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  • Space to talk openly without fear of judgment

  • Learning coping strategies and emotional tools

  • Processing life events, frustrations, or transitions

  • Building communication skills and confidence

  • Exploring identity, values, and boundaries

  • Developing strategies for home, school, or peer interactions

 

Some teens talk right away. Others need time, games, art, or gentle pacing. Either way, therapy unfolds at the speed of trust.​​

mom and teenagers relaxing on couch

Parent Partnership Matters

Your involvement is an important part of your teen’s success, and we support that intentionally.

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Parents can expect:

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  • Brief check-ins

  • Guidance for communication or behavior support at home

  • Collaboration with school or care providers when appropriate

  • Clear updates about progress (without violating your teen’s confidential space)

 

We help you feel empowered too, not confused, shut out, or overwhelmed.

What Progress Looks Like

Early signs of progress may include:

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  • Fewer outbursts or shutdowns

  • Stronger emotional language

  • Better follow-through with routines

  • Less resistance around school, chores, or communication

  • Improved sleep, motivation, or confidence

 

Over time, deeper changes become possible:

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  • Healthier relationships with family and peers

  • Increased resilience and emotional regulation

  • Stronger identity, values, and boundaries

  • Greater confidence and life skills

  • A feeling of ease and self-acceptance

 

Many parents describe it as:


“Getting their child back — but stronger, wiser, and more grounded.”

Why Teens and Families Choose Humanistic Counseling Collective

Teen Therapy in Sacramento, California

Families often tell us they stay with our practice because their teen finally felt understood, and because they saw real, steady emotional growth over time.

 

Parents share that they felt included and supported rather than blamed or pushed aside, and that therapy became a grounding space where their teen could connect, open up, and do meaningful work.

 

We’re not here to micromanage behavior or create a “perfect” teen (Spoiler alert: No such thing exists!).

 

We’re here to help young people build emotional skills, self-trust, confidence, and a sense of belonging, without losing who they’re becoming.

ready to GET YOUR teen support?

Whether you’re worried, curious, or just wondering if therapy might help, reaching out is a meaningful first step.

teenage Therapy Session Discussion
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