Teen Counseling in Austin, TX
Empower Adolescent Potential
The teenage years pile on pressure from every direction — school, friends, screens, the future. Therapy gives your teen a place that’s entirely theirs: to sort out what’s happening, build real skills, and find their footing. And yes — we’re good with reluctant teens.
4.9★
Average rating in our most recent client survey
15 years
Serving Austin families since 2011
4,000+
Clients served
30 therapists
With varied licensure and levels of experience
Navigate Complex Challenges
Peer pressure, academic demands, and the constant comparison engine in their pocket — teens carry more than they say. What we hear from parents most often:
- Grades sliding, or motivation that’s simply vanished
- Anxiety about school, friends, or the future
- Withdrawal to their room and their phone
- Irritability that turns every conversation into a standoff
- Sleep schedules that are completely upside down
- A confidence dip you can see but can’t reach
Not sure if it’s normal teenage weather or something more? Reach out — a short conversation with our team can tell you a lot, with no commitment.
Encourage Self-Discovery
Adolescence is when identity gets built. Therapy gives teens a secure, non-judgmental space to explore who they are — values, passions, fears — with an adult who isn’t grading them, raising them, or comparing them to anyone.
Will my teen even talk to a therapist?
Very often, yes — once it’s clearly their space. Plenty of teens arrive with their arms crossed, and our therapists expect that; nobody is forced to spill anything on day one.
We start where the teen is — music, games, school, whatever’s real — and let trust build at their pace. Reluctance usually softens once they realize the therapist works for them, not for their parents.
Wondering if yours would engage? Ask for a call — we’ll tell you honestly what we’d try.
Build Emotional Resilience
Stress and setbacks are inevitable; being flattened by them isn’t. Your teen learns practical tools — mindful breathing that works in a hallway, journaling, naming what’s actually happening in the moment — practiced until they hold up under real pressure.
These are the same mindfulness skills we teach adults; teens get the unwatered-down version, and it tends to earn their respect.
Strengthen Communication
Assertive communication reduces conflict at home and with friends. We help teens say what they mean without the blowup — and help you hear what’s underneath the one-word answers.
What will my teen’s therapist tell me — and what stays private?
We’re straight with both of you about this, because trust is the whole ballgame. Your teen gets real privacy: the day-to-day content of sessions stays in the room — that’s exactly why therapy works with this age group.
You get what you actually need: regular updates on themes and progress, concrete things that help at home, and immediate contact if there is ever a safety concern — always, no exceptions.
We explain these rules to your teen in the first session, with you there, so nobody has to wonder where the lines are.
Want the specifics for your situation? Ask for a call.
Prepare for the Future
College, work, independence — every transition lands easier with self-awareness and a calm nervous system. Therapy now isn’t just about this semester; it’s the foundation for the adult your teen is becoming.
We work with several insurance plans and offer clear self-pay rates — see Rates & Insurance, or get in touch and we’ll check your coverage before you begin.
The Teen Therapy Journey
From first call to confident goodbye — here’s the whole arc.
1Reach out
A short, low-pressure conversation about what’s been going on. It takes just a few minutes, and there’s no commitment.
2Get matched
Matcha, our custom matching platform, pairs your teen with the best-fit therapist — because a teen who clicks with their therapist actually talks.
3Everyone in the room
The first meeting usually includes you. We set expectations together — including the privacy rules — so your teen knows this space is theirs.
4Sessions that don’t feel like class
Real conversation and real skills — stress, friends, identity, motivation — at your teen’s pace, not a curriculum’s.
5Review, grow, graduate
We track progress with you, respect their privacy, and say so when they’re ready — confidence that lasts is the summit.
How We Work With Teens
Every teen is different, so your therapist draws from several evidence-based approaches and follows your teen’s lead.
Mindfulness-based therapy
Noticing thoughts and feelings without being run by them — the skill underneath staying calm under pressure. Every AMC therapist is also a trained mindfulness teacher.
CBT that respects their intelligence
The link between thoughts, feelings, and actions — examined honestly, without worksheets that talk down to them.
Values & identity work
Who am I, what matters to me, what do I want — explored with curiosity instead of pressure, and without a deadline.
Stress, sleep & screens
Practical work on the big three: academic load, a phone that never sleeps, and a body that needs to.
Parent involvement, without surveillance
Regular check-ins on themes and progress — never a transcript. You stay informed; your teen stays honest in the room.
EMDR for teens
For teens carrying something heavy, EMDR helps the memory lose its charge — paced carefully, always with consent.
Find the right therapist for your teen
Choose whichever way feels easier. Scroll down to meet the AMC therapists who work with teens and request someone by name.
Or answer a few questions in Matcha, our custom AI-assisted matching tool, and we’ll suggest therapists whose experience and availability may fit your family’s needs.
Craig Lesley, LPC-A
- Works with
- Age 13+
- Focus
- Anxiety, Caregivers, Codependency, Depression
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Insurance
- Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Curative, Private Pay / Self Pay, Sana
- Languages
- English
Eleni Milliken, LPC-A
- Works with
- Age 8+
- Focus
- ADHD, Asperger / Autism Spectrum, Emerging Adults (18-35), Existentialism / Identity
- Approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Expressive Arts, Integrative Approach
- Insurance
- Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Curative, Private Pay / Self Pay, Sana
- Languages
- English
Alicia Ang, LCSW
- Works with
- Age 12+
- Focus
- ADHD, Anxiety, Attachment Issues, Body Image
- Approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Insurance
- Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Curative, Private Pay / Self Pay, Sana
- Languages
- English
Jinjin Lu, LPC-A
- Works with
- Age 4+
- Focus
- Abandonment, Anxiety, Body Image, Depression
- Approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Insurance
- Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Curative, Private Pay / Self Pay, Sana
- Languages
- English
Amber Arellano, LMFT
- Works with
- Age 13+
- Focus
- Anxiety, Attachment Issues, Bipolar Disorder, Body Image
- Approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), EMDR
- Insurance
- Private Pay / Self Pay
- Languages
- English, Spanish
Sarah Becker, LPC-A
- Works with
- Age 4+
- Focus
- ADHD, Anxiety, Asperger / Autism Spectrum, Behavior Modification
- Approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Art Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Insurance
- Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Curative, Private Pay / Self Pay, Sana
- Languages
- English
Jadese Jasper
- Works with
- Age 13+
- Focus
- Anxiety, Depression, Existentialism / Identity, Older Adults / Gerontology
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Integrative Approach, Person-Centered
- Insurance
- Private Pay / Self Pay
- Languages
- English
Ash Hogle, LPC
- Works with
- Age 12+
- Focus
- ADHD, Abandonment, Anger, Anxiety
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
- Insurance
- Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Carelon, Cigna, Curative
Showing 8 of 20 therapists for Teen Counseling.
What our clients are saying about us
The breathing technique, being gentle to myself, and learning to recognize when I am not living in the present moment, among other coping skills my therapist has been teaching me have helped me tremendously with anxiety. She is easy to talk to, gentle, and listens without judgement. I am so thankful I found her and recommend her to everyone.