Adolescence brings changes in mood, sleep and behaviour that are entirely normal, which is part of what makes it hard to tell when something needs attention. As a rough guide, it’s worth seeking support when a change persists for several weeks and is affecting school, friendships, sleep or how your teenager is functioning day to day.
Veronica West is a registered psychologist (BPsychSc(Hons), MPH, MPsych) based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. She works with adults and adolescents across Australia via secure telehealth, including people experiencing adolescents and their families.
When a Teenager Might Benefit from Seeing a Psychologist
Some patterns worth taking seriously:
- Withdrawal from friends, family or activities they used to enjoy
- Ongoing difficulty getting to school, or escalating distress about attending
- Sleep that has changed substantially and stayed changed
- Anger or irritability that’s out of character and persistent
- Self-harm, or talk about not wanting to be here
- Anxiety that stops them doing ordinary things
- A significant drop in academic engagement without an obvious cause
- Changes following a specific event, such as a bereavement, family separation or bullying
If your teenager is at immediate risk, contact your GP, present to an emergency department, or call 000. Kids Helpline is available on 1800 55 1800 for young people aged 5 to 25.
What Veronica Works With
Common presentations in adolescent work include anxiety, low mood and depression, school-related stress and avoidance, ADHD, trauma, grief and loss, and difficulty adjusting to a change such as a family separation or a move.
Veronica works with adolescents individually. She doesn’t provide family therapy, custody or parenting assessments, or court reports.
How Sessions Work with Adolescents
The first appointment usually involves the parent or carer for part of the session, to get the background and the concerns, and then time with the young person alone. After that, sessions are generally with the teenager on their own.
Adolescents come in with varying levels of enthusiasm, and a teenager who has been brought rather than come is a normal starting point rather than a barrier. Early sessions are about establishing whether the young person can find the arrangement useful on their own terms.
Sessions are usually 50 minutes. Frequency is generally weekly or fortnightly at the start.
Confidentiality and What Parents Are Told
This is the question parents ask most, and it’s worth being clear about upfront.
What a young person discusses in session is generally kept confidential, because adolescents rarely speak openly if they believe everything will be reported home. That confidentiality has limits. Where there’s a risk of serious harm to the young person or someone else, or where disclosure is required by law, information will be shared with parents or the appropriate service.
In practice, parents are usually given a general sense of themes, progress and how they can help, rather than a session-by-session account. The arrangement is discussed with both the young person and the parent at the start so that everyone knows where the lines sit.
Mature minors can consent to their own treatment in Australia where they’re assessed as having sufficient understanding of what’s involved. In practice, most adolescent work involves parents in the arrangement regardless, since it’s usually a parent organising and funding it.
Telehealth with Teenagers
Video sessions work well with this age group, who are generally comfortable with the format. headspace also runs free and low cost services for young people aged 12 to 25 across Australia. It also removes travel, which makes fitting sessions around school considerably easier.
What matters is a private space where the young person can talk without being overheard, and a reliable connection. Where privacy at home is difficult, that’s worth raising, since it affects what a teenager will say.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age can a teenager see a psychologist without their parent?
There’s no fixed age. Australian practice uses the mature minor principle, where a young person can consent to their own treatment if assessed as having sufficient understanding of it. In practice most adolescent work involves parents in the arrangement, and this is discussed at the start.
Will you tell me what my teenager says in sessions?
Generally no, beyond themes, progress and how you can help. Confidentiality is what makes adolescents willing to speak openly. The exceptions are risk of serious harm and situations where disclosure is required by law, and those are explained to everyone at the outset.
Does my teenager need a Mental Health Treatment Plan?
Only if you want Medicare rebates on the sessions. A GP can prepare one, and the young person attends that appointment. You can also see a psychologist privately without a referral.
What if my teenager doesn’t want to come?
That’s very common and not a reason to abandon the idea. It’s often worth one or two sessions to let them assess it for themselves. Therapy that a young person is dragged to indefinitely rarely works, so if they remain unwilling after a fair trial, that’s worth discussing.
Do you see children under 12?
Veronica works with adolescents and adults. For younger children, a psychologist who works specifically with that age group and with families is generally a better fit, and your GP can help identify one.
Getting Started
If you’re a parent considering support for your teenager, or an adolescent looking into it yourself, you can read more about how Veronica works or get in touch with any questions. Sessions run across Australia by secure telehealth.