We “get” teens! Adolescent focused art therapy strives to meet the teenager right where he or she is. The most important ingredient for successful therapy is building and maintaining a trusting relationship. To do that, we communicate non-judgmental acceptance of our clients, identify meaningful goals to buy into, and communicate deep confidence in their ability to face and overcome every challenge.

Teenagers experience a therapist who really gets teenagers. Adolescents live on the border of childhood and adulthood, and must develop a sense of independence. It’s hard to be a teen in today’s world!

At CFATC, our teenage clients find a comfortable, confidential place away from family, friends, and school where they can be completely themselves. By standing on their own two feet with the therapist they develop their OWN goals, their OWN coping skills, their OWN solutions, their OWN identity, and their OWN self-esteem. We help our clients become the best possible version of THEMSELVES.

In 50-60 minute sessions, young people experience a whatever-it-takes therapy style. “Whatever-it-takes” means that our art therapists can use art materials and discussion, pure verbal therapy, play cards and chat, or even throw a ball around. We don’t have a preference about WHAT activity we do other than joining with our client in a positive process that gets them where they want to be. A combination of art therapy, verbal therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy is available.


Additional Individual Therapy Services



While adolescents crave independence and confidentiality, they can’t always handle everything on their own. We can’t help them in a vacuum and we can’t remove the family’s influence on them! It’s hard to be a parent of a teenager! Parents help us develop goals that fit the family's values.

Parent meetings help parents understand their teenager’s situation, emotions, behaviors, treatment progress, and needs – while still preserving the client’s confidentiality. Our therapists also use these meetings to get a big picture update about what is going on in our adolescent clients' larger world – at home, school, with friends, etc.

These meetings help our therapists update treatment goals and keep therapy moving forward.
We teach parenting skills, as needed. We help parents learn when to be a confidant and when to be a limit-setter or a guide. Parents learn how to communicate and listen to teenagers, how to set realistic and meaningful rules and guidance, and when to cut their child some slack.

We empower our clients and parents to develop the courage, the self-control, and the communication skills to effectively talk AND LISTEN to one another. Improved communication facilitates the healing of old wounds, increases understanding and empathy, and IMPROVES RELATIONSHIPS for the duration of their lives.