Sometimes teens ask their parents to speak with a therapist and other times, the process is initiated by parents who see issues and choose to seek help or support for their child.  As a result, teens are sometimes eager and sometimes nervous, uncertain, and resistant to begin the process of therapy.  It is ideal, of course, for a teen to want to seek some support for themselves (or at least be open to the idea!) and therapy tends to be most successful when this is the case.  When a teen feels pressured to come to therapy, they can be quite resistant to the process.  I typically suggest to parents that they encourage a wary or resistant teen to come twice and then decide if it’s right for them.  Often, once they see what therapy is like and experience the full attention of someone around their concerns and issues, they begin to see the potential benefit.  The techniques and course of therapy will depend on what your child and family's unique needs are.  In general, therapy with teens will provide a safe space within which they can process whatever challenges they are facing. Through the process of therapy, teens ideally develop skills around thinking through experiences and decisions and develop coping skills for managing challenging situations.