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Therapy for Teen Girls in Chicago

Meet Our Teen Therapists

Struggling with the pressures of being a teen girl?

  • Does your anxiety seem out of control? And is it stopping you from doing things you want to do?

  • Or maybe you’re having a hard time knowing where you belong and who your friends are?

  • You might be feeling depressed and aren’t sure who to talk to?

  • Or you might just want someone to talk to who can just listen and not share their opinion.

There are a lot of things that can be hard about being a teenage girl. Our teen girl therapists have a broad understanding of some of the things that you might be going through, and also want to hear directly from you about whatever you want to talk about.

Common Reasons that Teen Girls Seek Therapy

It can be difficult to be a teen girl! Sometimes teen girls come to therapy to simply process and get emotional support with all of the rapid changes and growth they experience. And sometimes there are more common and diagnosable mental health issues happening like depression, anxiety, or disordered eating. Here’s a list of some specific reasons why teen girls might want to start therapy:

  • Someone in their life, perhaps a parent, or a teacher, is concerned that they may be depressed. Or sees them struggling with a lot of anxiety around day to day things.

  • Relationships are of utmost importance when you’re a teen, and can be quite difficult to navigate! Teens may want help with connecting to their friends, assertiveness with peers, new communication skills that help them feel like they fit in, or guidance on navigating romantic relationships for the first time

  • The teenage years are a time of heightened focus on the body and how one feels about self and their body. Many teens have body image concerns and/or self esteem issues that could be assisted in therapy.

  • There may be a lot of pressure to do well in school and teens may seek therapy to learn ways to manage that academic pressure.

  • Sometimes teens have also been through trauma and abuse in the past and seek therapy to heal from those experiences.

  • Conflict with parents or a primary caregiver may be something that also shows up for teen girls.

  • Often the teen years are a time of experimentation. Some teens may struggle with ongoing substance abuse and addiction challenges and want help to break away from those behaviors.

  • Sometimes it’s just that there’s a lot going on as a teen girl, and it’s helpful to have a therapist to help you work through all of the life transitions.

Signs Your Teen Needs Support

Here are some common signs to look out for that may indicate that your teen girl could benefit from therapy:

Emotional and Behavioral Changes

  • Persistent sadness or hopelessness: If she seems constantly down or has a negative outlook.

  • Frequent irritability or anger: Excessive frustration or anger that seems disproportionate to the situation.

  • Anxiety or fear: Intense worry or panic about school, social situations, or personal life.

  • Mood swings: Extreme or rapid shifts in mood that seem uncontrollable.

Decline in Academic Performance

  • Lack of motivation: A noticeable drop in effort or interest in school.

  • Difficulty concentrating: Inability to focus or retain information, leading to falling grades.

  • Absenteeism: Skipping school or avoiding academic responsibilities without clear reasons.

Social Withdrawal

  • Isolating from friends and family: Avoiding social interactions, spending too much time alone.

  • Loss of interest in hobbies: Activities she once enjoyed no longer bring pleasure.

  • Trouble making or keeping friends: Frequent conflict in relationships or struggling with peer pressure.

Changes in Sleeping or Eating Habits

  • Sleeping too much or too little: Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or excessive sleep.

  • Loss of appetite or overeating: Sudden weight changes or unhealthy eating patterns.

Self-Harm or Talk of Suicide

  • Self-harm: Engaging in cutting, burning, or other forms of self-injury.

  • Suicidal thoughts or behaviors: Talking about death, having a plan, or expressing feelings of worthlessness.

Substance Use

  • Experimenting with drugs or alcohol: Using substances as a way to cope with emotional distress or fit in socially.

  • Changes in behavior around substance use: Hiding, lying, or engaging in risky behavior while under the influence.

Risky or Reckless Behavior

  • Impulsive actions: Engaging in activities without considering the consequences, like dangerous driving or sexual behaviors.

  • Defiance or rule-breaking: Frequent arguments with authority figures, breaking curfews, or legal trouble.

Struggles with Self-Esteem

  • Negative body image: Constantly criticizing her appearance or feeling unworthy.

  • Perfectionism: Intense fear of failure or obsession with being perfect.

Trauma or Major Life Changes

  • Grief or loss: Struggling to cope with the death of a loved one or parental divorce.

  • Bullying or peer pressure: Signs of being targeted at school or online.

Therapeutic Approaches and Techniques

At Balanced Awakening, we have therapists for teen girls who work in several unique ways. Some of our teen girl therapists bring in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques to help teens make changes to their day to day thoughts and behaviors. Some approach therapy with a primary focus on being an unbiased listener and holding the space for the teen to explore all sorts of thoughts and feelings. We also have art therapy that can be really wonderful for teens, as it can help teens access their feelings through creative expression.

We’re also happy to work with a teen girl and a parent in sessions together utilizing Imago Relationship Therapy. What we can do is help to facilitate safe communication between, say mom and teen, or dad and teen, around pretty much any topic or relationship needs.

Benefits of Engaging in Teen Girl Therapy

The benefits of engaging in therapy as a teen girl are many! Here are some common ones:

  • Help you feel more confident in you/your relationship with yourself

  • Reduce your symptoms of anxiety and/or depression

  • Learn skills to help you communicate better with peers and feel more at ease in your friendships

  • Develop emotional resilience and flexibility in navigating day to day changes and challenges

  • Experience less conflict in your relationship with your parents or teachers

  • Heal from past trauma

  • Overcome disordered eating or substance abuse issues

Getting Started with Teen Girl Therapy at Balanced Awakening

We are here for you whenever you would like to get started! Feel free to contact us or explore the profiles of the therapists that we have listed at the top of the page.

Balanced Awakening Lakeview
4043 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste 301
Chicago, IL 60613
 
Balanced Awakening Andersonville
5215 N Ravenswood Ave, Ste 201 & 208
Chicago, IL 60640
 
Balanced Awakening Loop
25 E Washington St, Ste 1505
Chicago, IL 60602
 

Teen Girl Therapy-Related Blog Posts

Teen Girl Therapy FAQs

  • Pretty much any emotional, mental, or behavioral challenge that you as a teen are going through can be aided in some way by coming to therapy. Some common reasons teen girls seek therapy, or are encouraged to attend therapy by a parent are: depression, anxiety, eating and body image concerns, academic pressures, challenges in peer, romantic, or parent relationships, trauma, addictions, and life transitions.

  • In the first two sessions, your therapist will ask you questions about your life currently, your history, and what you might hope to get out of therapy. From there, you and your therapist will discuss goals for therapy. Sessions can focus on whatever you’d like the most help with at the time. They might include a mix of talking, doing artwork, or engaging in a game. It can sometimes be hard to talk for a whole therapy hour!

  • We’ll do everything we can to keep the information you share with us in a session private. Since teens are technically minors under the law, there are certain things we would need to communicate to your parents. Your parent would know the basics such as if you came to your session, based on insurance and financial records. Also, if something comes up in session where we think you are at risk of harming yourself or another person, or you may be at risk of being harmed (or are currently experiencing abuse), we will likely need to communicate this with your parent(s) for your safety. Otherwise, your therapist will prioritize keeping what you share between you and your therapist. And will be able to talk with you further about how they can maintain your privacy.

  • Our teen therapy rate for the first two sessions is $245. After that, individual 55 minute sessions are $220. Most of our providers accept BCBS PPO and Aetna insurance.

  • This is a great question! Under IL law, teens 17 and under are allowed to seek and have a certain number of therapy sessions without their parent knowing. However, at Balanced Awakening, we require that every client have a credit card on file, and many of our teen clients get therapy services with us through their parents insurance. Usually teens rely on their parents insurance and credit card, and as such need their parent to be involved in setting up therapy sessions. If you have any questions about this, or have your own credit card and would like to use it for our sessions, please contact us for more information!

  • Yes! We offer virtual teen therapy sessions as well as in-person. Sometimes it’s easier for clients to engage in therapy virtually, especially when they have school, homework, extracurriculars, and a social life!

  • The benefits of engaging in therapy as a teen girl are many! Here are some common ones:

    Help you feel more confident in you/your relationship with yourself

    Reduce your symptoms of anxiety and/or depression

    Learn skills to help you communicate better with peers and feel more at ease in your friendships

    Develop emotional resilience and flexibility in navigating day to day changes and challenges

    Experience less conflict in your relationship with your parents or teachers

    Heal from past trauma

    Overcome disordered eating or substance abuse issues

  • Yes, you can if you’d like. Sometimes teens are more comfortable if their parent does not attend sessions, so we encourage parents to consider whether attending would get in the way of their teen’s bonding with the therapist. But other times, it can be helpful if the parents is present to help describe what has been happening in their teen’s life.

  • In order to establish the best relationship and provide the best therapy for your teen, we try to keep as much information that happens in session between the therapist and the teen. As the parent, if you would like