Adolescents

Adolescents

Clear Mind Westchester provides an open and comfortable place for pre-teens and teens to land. Our first goal is to establish a connection and to set a radically accepting tone. Next, we look at every adolescent through multiple lenses; academic, social, societal, biological, familial, extra curricular, and leisure. A picture unfolds and we create a treatment plan that is unique and adaptive to the lives of each young person. 

Dialectic Behavior Therapy (DBT) is the cornerstone of Clear Mind’s approach to treating adolescents. Due to the inherent nature of adolescent biology, teens are likely to see the world in extremes which often causes emotional dysregulation and impulsivity. For this reason, Dialectic behavior Therapy (DBT) is the preferred form of treatment. “Dialectical” is a descriptive way of saying that two opposing things can be true at the same time. You can be happy and sad about the same thing within the same moment. Thinking “dialectically” helps us to lean away from “right” and “wrong” and move towards a more balanced way of looking at the world. It’s okay to be happy. It’s okay to be sad.

• Adolescence is inherently a time when our brains think in extremes.
• Regulating emotions is a major aspect of difficulties in the adolescent years.
• (please add this ‘) Teens’ social lives have become more complicated as a result of social media and technology.
• Dialectic Behavior Therapy uses five modules to help adolescents manage emotions, interact with others effectively, and decrease impulsive behaviors.

How Our Practice Supports Families with Teens

In our practice, we work with adolescents and their families through a relational, developmentally informed lens. We understand that adolescence is not a problem to be managed, but a critical period of growth that requires containment, curiosity, and clear leadership from adults.

Our work with families is grounded in the belief that strong relationships are the most protective factor for teen mental health.

We support teens by offering a space where they can think, feel, and speak openly — without pressure to have the “right” answers. Therapy helps adolescents make sense of overwhelming emotions, identity questions, anxiety, depression, and the stressors of today’s world while strengthening their capacity for self-understanding and resilience.

At the same time, we support parents with respect and clarity. Rather than offering scripts or one-size-fits-all solutions, we help parents:

• Understand their teen’s behavior in developmental and emotional context
• Strengthen authority without relying on control or fear
• Communicate values in ways that preserve connection
• Respond to challenging behaviors with steadiness rather than reactivity
• Rebuild trust when communication has broken down

Much of our work centers on mentalization and emotional regulation — helping both teens and parents understand what is happening beneath the surface of behavior. When families learn to slow down, become curious, and reflect rather than react, conflict decreases and connection deepens.

We also recognize how isolating parenting teens can feel. Parents often arrive exhausted, worried, and unsure of themselves. Our role is not to judge or correct, but to restore confidence, helping parents trust their instincts while expanding their capacity to lead with both warmth and authority.

Therapy in our practice is collaborative, thoughtful, and grounded in real family life. We hold space for complexity, disagreement, and growth — because healthy families are not defined by the absence of conflict, but by the ability to repair, reflect, and stay connected through it.

When teens feel emotionally safe and parents feel supported, families don’t just cope — they stabilize, grow, and heal.