Individual Counseling for Teenagers

Individual teen counseling takes place once or twice a week depending on the wishes of the patient and the severity of the issues.  It will focus on your teenagers personal concerns. 

Counseling takes place in a pleasant room that serves as a sanctuary for  teens.  The first phase of counseling centers around teenagers telling  the therapist their life story.  It is important for the therapist to  know how the teenager sees his or her past and the effects it has on  them in the present.  In the second phase teenagers are encouraged to  speak as freely and spontaneously as possible during sessions.  The day  to day rules that govern social etiquette are suspended and no topic is  considered out of bounds including the therapeutic relationship between  the therapist and the teenager.

For more information on how I work with teenagers please visit the My Approach To Counseling page.

Patient Confidentiality

Although parents have the right to know what is discussed in their teenager's counseling it is asked that parents respect their teenager's privacy in the counseling room.  For teenagers counseling entails taking an emotional risk with the therapist.  If teenagers know that what they says in the counseling room goes straight to the parents it inevitably has a censoring effect and they are much less likely to speak about issues that are private and important to them.  Consequently, little progress is made.

There are three exceptions to the confidentiality rule.

1. The therapist considers the teenager to be at a high risk for suicide.  In this case the therapist will break confidentiality and make sure that the teenager receives the help they need to keep them safe.

2. The therapist considers the teenager to be at a high risk for homicide.  In this case, just like in suicide, the therapist will break confidentiality and take steps to assure the safety of the potential victim.

3. The teenager reports child abuse to the therapist.  The therapist is a mandated reporter and is thus under a legal obligation to report child abuse to the child abuse hotline.  If this happens the department of children and families will send an investigator to the home of the teenager to investigate the claim.  The therapist has no influence over the outcome of the investigation.

Consultation

If you have questions about how the counseling process works or simply want to discuss your family's situation with Miguel Brown call him at 786-664-7426 or request a consultation now by filling out the form to the right.  

 All counseling services are offered in English or Spanish.  I offer flexible office hours that include afternoons and evenings. To see commonly treated issues addressed in counseling services please go to the Treatments tab in the yellow navigation bar above.

By Miguel Brown