Youth therapy for young teens: a private, steady place to talk through what is weighing on them, with caregivers involved in ways everyone agrees on. Psychologists registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW), Certified Canadian Counsellors certified by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), Mental Health Therapists and Student Therapists. In person in Edmonton and St. Albert, and virtual anywhere in Alberta.

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You Might Be Wondering Whether Youth Therapy Is Right for Your Teen

You may be trying to work out whether what your teen is going through is a normal part of being 13, 14 or 15, or a sign they could use more support. That is hard to judge from the outside. Teens this age often share less than they used to. You may be piecing things together from closed doors, short answers and changes you cannot quite name.

If you are the teen reading this, you might be wondering whether your problems are big enough to bother anyone with. You might also worry that a therapist will repeat everything to your parents, or that talking will not change much.

Maybe some of this sounds familiar:

• coming home from school drained, and not wanting to explain why
• going quiet around friends who used to feel easy to be with
• small things at home turning into arguments that leave everyone worn out

These are common reactions to pressure, change and strain in relationships. They make sense at an age when school, friendships, bodies and family roles are all shifting at once. They do not mean something is wrong with your teen, or with your parenting.

If you are considering whether speaking with someone could help, this page may be a useful starting point. It explains what teen counselling at Wholesome Psychology looks like, who it suits and where its limits are. You can read at your own pace and come back to it later.

Who Teen Counselling May Help

Teen counselling may be a good fit for:

• youth aged 13 to 15 who want a private place to talk about school, friendships, family, mood, confidence or identity
• teens adjusting to a change, such as a move, a new school, a family separation or a loss
• teens who have been teased, left out or targeted online (see our page on bullying therapy)
• parents and caregivers gathering information for a teen who is not sure about counselling yet
• families who would prefer in-person sessions in Edmonton or St. Albert, or virtual sessions from home

Teen counselling may not be the right fit for:

• A teen in immediate danger or crisis. Please use the crisis resources below.
• A diagnosis, formal testing or a report for school. Psychological assessments are a separate service. See child and youth assessment services.
• Custody, court or other legal matters. Forensic and legal needs are outside this therapy service.
• Concerns centred on a teen's harmful behaviour toward others. The admin team can talk through whether this service fits or whether another kind of support would suit better.
• Medical or psychiatric care, including medication. Counselling does not replace care from a physician or psychiatrist.

If you already know you would like to start, you can book online or call the admin team at 780-904-4880.

If Your Teen Needs Help Right Now

Counselling is not set up to respond to emergencies. If your teen, or you, may be in danger right now, these services can respond faster than a clinic can. In Canada, anyone thinking about suicide, or worried about someone who may be, can call or text 9-8-8 (Government of Canada, n.d.).

• 911 for immediate danger or urgent medical help
• 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 9-8-8 (24/7)
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7)
• Kids Help Phone: call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868 (24/7)

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What Teen Counselling Is, and What It Is Not

Teen counselling is regular, private conversation between a young person and a trained clinician. Sessions give a teen a structured space to talk about experiences, goals, relationships, school and coping. Depending on the teen and the plan you agree on, a session might involve talking, practising a skill, working through a real situation at home or school, or planning for what comes next.

Caregivers can be involved when it helps and when it is agreed on. How much, and in what way, is decided together rather than assumed. If you are looking for support for yourself as a caregiver, our parenting support page may also help.

Teen counselling is not:

• a crisis or emergency service
• a legal service, an investigation or part of a custody process
• a medical, psychiatric or diagnostic service
• a psychological assessment, which is a separate service with its own process and fees

Your teen sets the pace, not the therapist. No one will push them to share more than they are ready to. Each clinician works within the scope of their own training and professional registration. A therapist may suggest working alongside your family doctor, school supports or another provider, or a different level of care, if that seems more suitable.

What your teen shares is kept private, within limits set by law and professional standards. Those limits, and how caregivers will be kept informed, are explained in the first session. You can read the details in the confidentiality and privacy section below.

Signs That Stress, Mood or Relationships May Be Affecting Your Teen

Youth wellbeing can be shaped by many personal, social, school, family and community factors. The Public Health Agency of Canada has tracked mental health indicators among young people aged 12 to 25 and reports that these indicators have shifted over recent years, with experiences differing across groups (Public Health Agency of Canada [PHAC], 2025). Population data like this offers context. It cannot tell you whether your own teen needs support.

None of the patterns below means a teen has a mental health condition. They are experiences that can come up when life feels harder than usual. You might notice:

• a mood that seems heavier, flatter or more irritable than usual, and stays that way for a while
• a lot of worry about school, marks or what other people think
• pulling back from friends, activities or family time they used to enjoy
• arguments at home that flare up quickly and are hard to repair
• being teased, left out or targeted online, and not wanting to talk about it
• harsh self-talk, such as "I'm so stupid" or "nobody likes me"
• changes in sleep, appetite or energy
• questions about identity, belonging or culture that feel hard to raise at home
• a loss or family change that still seems to be sitting with them

Peer problems deserve to be taken seriously. The Canadian Psychological Association describes bullying as a relationship problem that can cause physical, social or educational harm or distress for the young person targeted (Canadian Psychological Association [CPA], 2021).

These responses are common reactions to pressure, change and hurt. They are not permanent features of who your teen is. Counselling may help a teen and family explore what is going on and consider practical next steps.

If any of these come with talk of self-harm or not wanting to be alive, please use the crisis resources above. Our pages on self-harm and suicidal thoughts have more information.

How Teen Counselling Works at Wholesome Psychology

• Find a therapist. Use the Match with a Therapist tool or browse Our Therapists. Some families look at profiles together with their teen. If you would like help choosing, call the admin team at 780-904-4880.
• Book your first session. In the first session, the therapist explains consent and confidentiality, including what will and will not be shared with caregivers. They also ask what your teen, and you, hope to get from counselling. Your teen can ask questions before deciding what to share.
• Build your plan together. The therapist, your teen and, where appropriate, a caregiver shape a plan around the teen's goals, preferences and stage of development. Your teen's voice carries real weight here.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions are 50 minutes, usually weekly or every two weeks. Frequency can change as needs change.
• Progress check-ins. The therapist reviews how things are going with your teen at regular points. The plan can be adjusted, slowed down or wrapped up when it makes sense.

There is no fixed number of sessions. Counselling is collaborative, and your teen's view of what is helping matters at every stage. For a fuller picture of the process, see Getting Started with Therapy.

Evidence and Approaches

A clinician may draw on approaches that fit a teen's goals, preferences, developmental stage and clinical scope. The approaches below appear in clinical guidance for young people. Much of this research looks at teens experiencing depression, so it does not cover every reason a teen might come to counselling. Not every clinician offers every approach, so you can ask about a specific therapist's training when you book.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

What it helps with: CBT may help a teen notice links between thoughts, feelings and actions, and practise more flexible ways of handling stress and low mood.

Evidence summary: Clinical guidance recommends offering individual CBT to 12- to 18-year-olds with moderate to severe depression, and lists digital or group CBT among options for milder depression (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], 2019). A recent review of randomized trials classified CBT as a well-established treatment for adolescent depression (Weersing et al., 2025).

Limitations: The same review noted that effects in most trials were modest (Weersing et al., 2025). Responses vary from teen to teen, and most of this evidence comes from depression research.

Learn more about cognitive behavioural therapy.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents (IPT-A)

What it helps with: IPT-A looks at how relationships and changes in a teen's life connect with how they feel.

Evidence summary: NICE guidance lists IPT-A among the options to consider for 12- to 18-year-olds with moderate to severe depression when individual CBT would not meet their needs or does not suit their circumstances (NICE, 2019). A recent review of randomized trials also classified IPT-A as well-established for adolescents (Weersing et al., 2025).

Limitations: This evidence comes from studies of adolescent depression. Whether it suits a particular teen depends on their concerns and on clinician training, which you can ask about.

Family Therapy and Caregiver Involvement

What it helps with: Family-based work looks at patterns between a teen and the people they live with, such as communication and conflict, and how caregivers can support change at home.

Evidence summary: NICE guidance lists family therapy, including attachment-based and systemic approaches, among options for 12- to 18-year-olds with moderate to severe depression (NICE, 2019). A youth depression care pathway from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health includes optional caregiver support sessions alongside psychotherapy (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health [CAMH], 2023).

Limitations: Research on parent- and family-focused treatments is still growing (Weersing et al., 2025). Family involvement also depends on the teen's comfort, consent and circumstances.

Learn more about family systems therapy.

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

What it helps with: Psychodynamic therapy explores how feelings, relationships and earlier experiences may shape what a teen is going through now.

Evidence summary: NICE guidance lists psychodynamic psychotherapy among the options to consider for 12- to 18-year-olds with moderate to severe depression when individual CBT would not meet their needs (NICE, 2019). The same guidance suggests choosing between therapies based on a young person's circumstances, maturity, developmental level and preferences (NICE, 2019).

Limitations: On this page, support for this approach rests on a single guideline. As with any approach, responses vary.

Learn more about psychodynamic therapy.

What Results to Expect

Progress is rarely a straight line. A teen may have a good few weeks, then a harder stretch around exams, holidays or changes at home. That kind of up and down is part of the process. It does not mean counselling has failed.

Some teens and families notice shifts within a few months. Others benefit from longer-term work. Outcomes vary, and no therapy can guarantee a particular result.

Several things can influence how counselling goes:

• what your teen is dealing with, and for how long
• what is happening at home, at school and with friends right now
• how ready your teen feels to take part
• how well your teen connects with their therapist

Fit matters. If something is not working, your teen can change therapist or try a different approach. The admin team can help with that.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What your teen shares in counselling is kept confidential, with some limits. Psychologists at Wholesome Psychology are regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) and follow its Standards of Practice, along with the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Code of Ethics for Psychologists. Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW).

Two Alberta privacy laws are relevant. The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) generally governs how private clinics collect, use and disclose personal information. The Health Information Act (HIA) governs health information held by health custodians, such as Alberta Health Services, and applies to clinicians who work for or are contracted by those custodians. Your teen's therapist can explain which rules apply to their records.

With teens, privacy also involves caregivers. At the start, the therapist will explain to both the teen and their caregiver that the law may limit a young person's confidentiality. Together, you can agree on what will be shared with caregivers and what will stay between the teen and the therapist, unless the law requires otherwise. These agreements can be revisited as things change.

A therapist may need to share information without consent when:

• there is a risk of serious harm to the teen or to someone else
• there is reason to suspect a child or teen is being abused or neglected (mandatory reporting under Alberta law)
• a court orders the release of information

The clinician will explain these limits clearly in the first session, in language that makes sense to a teen. Your teen, or you, can ask questions about privacy before sharing anything personal. The admin team can also explain the clinic's privacy practices, including how records are stored and who can access them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my teen have to talk about things they are not ready to share?

No. Your teen decides what to talk about and when. Some teens start with day-to-day things, like school, friends or what happened this week, and that is a valid place to begin. A therapist can work with present-day patterns without asking for a detailed account of hard experiences.

Is what my teen shares kept private, even from me?

Mostly, within limits. At the start, the therapist, your teen and you agree on what caregivers will be told. The level of detail is decided together rather than assumed. Information may have to be shared without consent if there is a risk of serious harm, a suspicion of abuse or neglect, or a court order. The confidentiality section above explains this in more detail.

How many sessions will my teen need?

There is no set number. Some teens come for a short stretch to work on one concern. Others benefit from longer-term support. The therapist reviews progress with your teen regularly, and you can talk about pace, frequency or finishing at any point.

What if the therapist is not the right fit for my teen?

Fit matters. When choosing, it can be useful to consider a therapist's communication style, experience, scheduling and how comfortable your teen feels with them. If your teen does not feel at ease after a session or two, that is useful information, not a failure. The admin team can help you find a different clinician, and your teen can have a say in who that is. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can my teen have sessions online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available anywhere in Alberta, and the same confidentiality standards apply. It helps if your teen has a private space where they will not be overheard. The therapist and your family can talk about whether virtual or in-person sessions suit your teen better.

My teen does not want to go. What can we do?

Feeling unsure about therapy is understandable at this age. It can help to let your teen look at therapist profiles and have a say in who they see, whether sessions are in person or online, and when. The first session is a chance for your teen to ask questions and see how it feels, and their consent is part of that conversation. If your teen is not ready, the admin team at 780-904-4880 can help you think through options.

Can a parent or caregiver join sessions?

Sometimes. Caregiver involvement can be helpful in some situations, and the therapist will talk with you and your teen about whether, when and how you take part. That might mean joining part of a session, a separate check-in, or not joining at all. It is decided individually and can change over time.

What if things at home do not feel safe?

If anyone is in danger, call 911. The Family Violence Info Line (Alberta) is available 24/7, toll-free, at 310-1818. Kids Help Phone can be reached at 1-800-668-6868 or by texting CONNECT to 686868. A therapist can help a teen think about safety, but counselling cannot make a home safe on its own. If a therapist has reason to believe a young person is being abused or neglected, Alberta law requires them to report it.

Meet Your Clinicians

Our team includes Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Certified Canadian Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists and Student Therapists. All psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Registered Provisional Psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist. Student Therapists are master's-level practicum students.

Clinicians bring different training and areas of focus. Profiles on Our Therapists describe each person's background, so you can look for someone with experience supporting teens and families. The Match with a Therapist tool can help narrow the options, and the admin team at 780-904-4880 can offer guidance.

Children and Youth

Wholesome Psychology offers counselling for children, adolescents and young people, not only for ages 13 to 15. Therapists who work with younger clients adapt their approach to the young person's age and stage. With younger children that may include more activity-based or creative methods, and with teens more conversation-based work. Clinicians also work with caregivers to support a steadier environment at home.

Related pages: mental health in tweens, teens' mental health, child and youth anxiety and child and youth depression.

Taking a Next Step

If you would like to learn more, or you feel ready to start, here is how to reach us:

• Book a session online
• Match with a therapist
• Call the admin team: 780-904-4880
• Email: info@wholesomepsychology.ca
• Read Getting Started with Therapy for more about the process

Whether you are the teen or someone who cares about them, starting the conversation is enough.

New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

References

• Canadian Psychological Association. (2021). "Psychology Works" fact sheet: Bullying among children and youth.
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. (2023). CARIBOU pathways [Infographic].
• Government of Canada. (n.d.). Crisis-support information. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/mental-health-services/mental-health-get-help.html
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2019). Depression in children and young people: Identification and management.
• Public Health Agency of Canada. (2025, June 19). Mental health of youth and young adults: Overview. Health Infobase, Government of Canada.
• Weersing, V. R., Goger, P., Schwartz, K. T. G., Baca, S. A., Angulo, F., & Kado-Walton, M. (2025). Evidence-base update of psychosocial and combination treatments for child and adolescent depression. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 54(1), 1-51.