Teen Counseling in Plymouth, MN

Picture of a family in counseling session. Two men, two teen girls, one woman. Family and teen therapy is available in Plymouth, MN.
 You see your teen struggling but you're not sure how to help.  Is your teenager depressed?  Are they feeling anxious about high school?  What are they thinking?  Maybe you're worried they're having sex or they're struggling with their sexual identity. You just want your son or daughter to have a safe space to process their emotions.  

When you bring your teen to counseling, they will have a space where they can truly discover themselves. Through therapy, your teen will develop the confidence they need to work through things as they come up in life.  You'll feel better knowing they are speaking to a reliable adult who you both trust and getting the support they need.

An Experienced, Relatable Teen Therapist

Clinic owner and licensed therapist, Amanda Sasek, has been working with teenagers for 10+ years.  At this point, counseling teens is one of her favorite parts of the job. Is it because she's still "young and hip"? Maybe. Whatever it is, she connects with teens in a meaningful and productive way that keeps her clients returning to her beyond their teenage years. In order to get a better sense of how Amanda works, we would love for you to hear directly from her, in her own words.

Specialties When Working with Teens

Because teenagers are my favorite group to work with, I see a wide variety of teens dealing with any number of mental health, emotional or behavioral concerns. Some of the most common reasons come to counseling at my office include:

Depression, Anxiety, Teenage Growing Pains

Teenage years can be hard. Add on depression, anxiety, or mood issues of any kind and it can wreck havoc on life for both the parents and teens. Often just finally talking about these problems openly in therapy brings a lot of relief for all. Through counseling, I work with teens and their parents to figure out exactly what the mood issues are, learn coping skills, and figure out changes needed in their life. 

PTSD, Sexual Trauma, Other Trauma

I am passionate about working with teens who have experienced something overwhelming, including sexual trauma. Teens in this situation can feel confused, shameful, and scared. I help them talk through their experience in whatever way feels comfortable to them so they can get to a better place. When counseling teens who have experienced sexual trauma, I often use a trauma counseling technique called EMDR.  Essentially, EMDR helps your teen reprocess the stressful memories, accept what happened and move forward.

Concerns Related to Sexuality/Gender

Picture of a teenager in baggy, comfortable clothing with short hair, holding her arm up around her head with her other arm in the pocket of her jean jacket. Model is looking at the camera with her head tilted down a bit, against a white, paneled background outside. Teen therapy in the Minneapolis area is easy and painless.
Perhaps your teen has told you they are questioning their sexuality or gender identity. If they are, they may need a safe space to explore this further and find some answers. As a parent, you may also need a place to process and figure this out as a family. I'd love to help there, too. If your teen is looking for more information about hormone therapy/gender transitioning, my counseling office is a safe place for your teen to explore their emotions. I have helped dozens of teens through gender transition with support, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), writing hormone therapy support letters, family therapy, and more. This is a time for celebrating who your teen truly is and helping everyone in the family embrace all aspects of their identity in a meaningful and loving way.

For your Teen (Have them read this!)

Hello! Thank you for considering therapy with me.
​First let me say I LOVE working with teens. I think I'm still young enough to "get it" and still have enough experience and mental health expertise to help you with whatever you want to come in to talk about. Teen years can be very difficult, and I want to give you an unbiased place to process things that are going on in your life.
If you don't want your parents to know what we are talking about - fine - I have a strict confidentiality policy. Unless you are talking about harm to yourself or others we can keep things between us. If you want to include your parents in any part of your therapy I am MORE than happy to help you discuss difficult things with your parents and figure out how to have them support you in the way that will help you the most.
Whether you want to talk about depression, anxiety, friendship issues, dating/sex issues, sexual trauma, or whatever-- I am truly honored to just be there, listen and support you.
If you are on the fence about starting therapy, let's start with a free 30 minute consultation appointment where we can decide if I'm a good match for what you are hoping for. If you decide I'm not a good fit, that is okay! I will give you referrals to other great therapists that might be better for you.
I truly look forward to meeting you! ~Amanda

Talking to Teens about Sex & Sexuality

I often see that parents get nervous or scared about talking to their kids about sex. They think that discussing it with them may "encourage" the behavior.  In reality, a study by Schuster et. al (1998) found that when teens have access to condoms, they're more likely to use them. However, they're no more likely to engage in a higher frequency of sexual activity! Today's adolescents have already been exposed to peer gossip, TV, movies, and other media content about sexuality, and they’re likely to have questions for you. Parents now face the reality of having to be prepared with information about sexual rights, anatomy, consent, decision-making skills, STDs, healthy relationships, and so much more. And, that is on top of everything else you do for your family.

Need some help talking to your teen about sex?

While all parents can benefit from having the tools to discuss the above issues with their children, parents of teens who identify within the LGBTQ+ umbrella may be seeking special tools for helping a child feel loved, secure, safe, and supported in their home and community. The therapists at SWI can provide information about advocating for your teen, learning about specific community-based issues and language, and becoming more aware of your own opportunities for personal growth. No matter the reason you want help to educate your teen about sexual health, the therapists at Sexual Wellness Institute are qualified and eager to assist.

My Approach as a Therapist to Helping You Talk With Your Teen

Picture of two teenage gay males, sitting cross-legged on a bed near each other, leaning in for one to kiss his partner on the cheek. They are holding a rainbow PRIDE flag, wrapping it around the two of them as they connect. Talking with your teen about sex and sexuality doesn't have to be difficult! Let our teen counselor at Sexual Wellness Institute in the Minneapolis, MN area help.
Discover the best practices are for engaging your teen in an ongoing dialogue about healthy sexuality over a time-limited course of sessions at the Sexual Wellness Institute. Sessions are designed to help you uncover and develop your own values around sexuality. Through this, we will provide you with tools for giving your teenager the high-quality, reliable information they need in order to make informed decisions about sexual activity for life.

Other topics may include, but are not limited to:

  • Attending to questions about physical and emotional changes related to puberty and sexual development
  • Addressing cybersex and porn consumption with your adolescent
  • Identifying developmentally appropriate content for discussions about sexuality with your adolescent
Let us help you speak to your teen in a more effective way. We can help clarify messages about sexuality and more, with information speaking directly to your child’s age, concerns, culture, and developing identity.

Want to learn more now? Here are some helpful articles:

Is Your Teen Ready to Begin Counseling in Plymouth, MN? We’re ready too.

Therapy for teens in our Minneapolis area counseling office is a breeze to set up. The hardest part is often getting to the point of making an appointment. All you have to do to get started is:
  1. Schedule a free consultation
  2. Meet with a teen therapy specialist
  3. Start to feel more confident, stable and understood.

Other Therapy Services at Sexual Wellness Institute

While Amanda loves to focus her work with teenagers, and has for many years, Sexual Wellness Institute also has a strong focus on sex therapy, desire concerns and working with couples in therapy at our Plymouth, MN counseling clinic. Our caring, professional therapists can also provide EMDR for sexual trauma and discernment counseling. Perhaps one or more of these specialties could be useful for your family as well? We know these years are complex, so let us help enhance your life in an understanding and non-judgmental way.