Teen Counseling

Your Teen:

Has a tough time handling stress.
Constantly worries.
Is really hard on herself.
Complains about having no friends.
"Freaks out," seemingly for no reason sometimes.
Is cranky or angry at you when you're not sure what you did.
Says nothing is going to help.

It’s tough when your teen is in pain, and you’re unable to fix it. As a parent, you want your teen to feel confident. And happy. You're willing to do what it takes to support them, but you aren't sure how. Maybe you've scoured the internet for help, read parenting books, and asked your friends for advice on what to do. The suggestions you got may have helped a little, but they didn't solve the problems.

Whether your teen is sharing things with you that upset you both, or turning away and leaving you wondering what’s actually going on – you know something is different. Something is wrong. You’re determined to get them help.

young teen girl looks up at the camera and smiles. She is seeing a teen therapist brentwood to gain support from teenager counseling brentwood.

Common Reasons Teens Begin Counseling

Anxiety & Low Self-Worth look different for each person. Here are some things you may be seeing from your teen that may mean it's time to consider teen counseling in Brentwood or Franklin, TN:

Worrying about things that may not make sense.
The need for perfection is disrupting her daily life.
Crying or tearing up without much of a reason.
They stopped spending time with friends and family.
Their relationships start to appear unhealthy.
Being angry or snapping at others more often.

teen girl plays with her dog outdoors. She goes to online therapy for teens to find support from a teen therapist brentwood

Teen Counseling Can Help Your Teen Overcome Anxiety and Feel Good About Themselves.

Over the years, I’ve spent thousands of hours helping girls who were struggling with anxiety, depression, the effects of trauma, and low self-worth and confidence. When I began my work as a teen therapist several years ago, I knew this was my “niche.” I enjoy working with this group…and I’m good at it.

I know it sucks to see your teen struggle. My goal is to help your teen make life what she wants it to be. For example, it may mean enjoying school, finding peace with herself, or actually looking forward to each day. Regardless, I love helping teens create a life they love and feel good about. It brings me so much joy to see my clients find confidence, enjoy life, get along with their families, and gain the freedom they’ve been missing in their lives. I’d love to see these types of things happen for your teen, as well.

Schedule an appointment

Cheerful teen girl in a yellow shirt smiles at the camera. Represents how teenager counseling brentwood and a teen therapist brentwood can help.

How Cody and his canine assistant, June do Teen Counseling

Teen counseling in Brentwood and Franklin, TN with me (and my assistant, June) is pretty laid back. We definitely talk about serious stuff you as a parent want to make sure is addressed in counseling. However, counseling sessions don't have to be 100% “business” all the time. Especially if that's not what's best for your teen. Part of the power of counseling for teenagers comes from them just feeling seen, heard, and respected. I relate really well to teens, but part of the reason is that I recognize that they're all different and take time to get to know them. Essentially, I treat them like a real person and they can see that I'm genuine.

Therefore, teen therapy looks different for each teen who enters my office based on their needs, wants, and personality. I'll check in with your teen every so often to make sure they feel like we're working on what's important to them. Because feeling like we're working on things they truly care about is an important part of successful teen counseling in Brentwood & Franklin, TN.

cody higgs and his dog June. They provide the best online therapy for teens with a teen therapist brentwood.

About June

June came to me as a foster from the Metro Nashville animal shelter in the Fall of 2022. After some time in my home with my family and in my office with my clients, it was clear that June was "the" dog. I adopted her in January of 2023, and she has been a full time therapy assistant ever since.

June has an enormous love for humans, and she brings a great deal of comfort to my clients. You can probably imagine that therapy involves talking about difficult things sometimes, and I constantly see June help teenagers through talking about things they may not be able to work through otherwise.

What will my teen do or talk about in counseling?

I believe that teen therapy can have a long-lasting and positive effect if we look at how problems began, or the “root causes” of the issues bringing your teen into therapy right now. But, I know it’s important to get some quick relief to cope with anxiety and depression. So, we can definitely look at things like building coping and calming skills. We all need to have coping skills. But, what if your teen didn’t have to constantly rely on coping skills to make it through never-ending stressful times. You’d probably be cool with that, too, right?

Also, there is a lot of benefit in letting feelings out. Often, teens feel like they can't talk about their feelings. So they bottle them up. But, it’s tough carrying that stress around all the time. The good news is, teen counseling can help! I will help them figure out how to let those feelings out in a way that works for them. At our office, your teen can be herself and say what she wants without being judged, so whatever is happening in life - bring it on!

As for June, she's an amazingly comforting dog. She's been used as a weighted blanket, pillow, cry rag, fidget toy, you name it. She's just happy to be with people and will look forward to your teen coming in each week. We've got your back no matter what!

A note Specifically for Teens About Therapy

I know you might not be very sure about this therapy thing. What does a grown up dude know about what it's like being a teen anyway? But I ask that you give me, and June, a chance. We've truly heard it all, so you can be yourself when you come to counseling sessions.

I'm not the guy that shows up in a button up and dress pants and throws around lots of words that don't make sense. You'll usually find me in a t-shirt or hoody, and lots of tattoos. That's just who I am. I believe in us being real with each other.

Teen counseling can help you believe in yourself, and recognize your value. Counseling can create some comfort and calm in your life. June and I specialize in providing therapy for teens with anxiety, trauma, low self-worth, and figuring out who they are.

Why I Specialize in Working with Teen Girls

I want to add a quick note about this - because I may be wondering if I were in your shoes. Being a teen or early adult can be tough. Especially for girls and women. I love helping with those really difficult things that girls face – pressure for perfectionism, the way you’re “supposed” to look and act, struggles with confidence and anxiety, dealing with unhealthy relationships and setting boundaries…it goes on, right?

I accidentally fell into working with teen girls in an agency job way back. I was "placed" (read: forced, at the time) into a position where I worked especially with girls struggling with anxiety, confidence, and trauma. As I started and continued to work with them, I realized that I loved it – and I was really good at it! So, this is who I’ve decided to put a lot of my focus toward in my private practice. I want to be a positive part of helping to create a generation of confident, empowered women.

After having this focus for quite awhile, I feel like I’ve come to have a pretty good understanding of the emotional lives of teen girls. I began my career believing that I’d be focusing on working with guys with behavioral issues, but life threw me a curveball, and I believe I’ve ended up in exactly the right place, helping exactly who I help the best.

Address Your Low Self-Worth and Anxiety withTeen Counseling in Franklin & Brentwood, TN

Your teen doesn't have to keep struggling with anxiety or feeling like they're not good enough. Through teen counseling in Franklin and Brentwood, TN, I help young people every day find a way through the stressful, awkward "teen years." don’t have to continue feeling anxious.

To begin teen counseling in Franklin, TN, follow these simple steps:

Contact Cody and schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
Meet with Cody (and June)
Begin counseling so you can overcome anxiety, feeling confident, and find your voice.

Other Counseling Services Provided by Cody and Edge

Teen counseling isn’t the only service we offer at our Franklin, TN counseling office. Cody and June offer Counseling for Young Women, LTBTQ+ Affirming Counseling, Walk + Talk Therapy, and Group Therapy for Teen Girls. Cody and June are also available to provide online therapy to Tenessee residents.

If you have questions about therapy or what it's like to work with us please visit my FAQ page. Contact our office to learn more!

Schedule an appointment

What are the symptoms of anxiety in a teenager?

Teen anxiety can look very different from person to person. For some teens, they may become nervous to leave the house or even their room. Others may become more angry or irritable. Other teens will constantly talk about things that worry them or seem to be constantly come up with worst case scenarios. Others may avoid social situations, driving, or other specific triggers that may not make sense to other people.

What is the most common anxiety disorder in teens?

Over the years I've seen teens with all types of anxiety. Social anxiety has been a very common type that I've helped teens to work through, and it often links to self-esteem and self-worth. Anxiety about school and driving also present themselves very often. Schools in the area seem to put a great deal of emphasis on 3 things - honors classes, AP classes, and straight A's. That tends to be a very stressful combination for lots of teens. Being a new driver in an area that is becoming evermore congested has shown itself to promote anxiety in plenty of my clients over the years, as well. From being scared of other cars to having a fear of the actual drivers of the cars, all the way to a lack of confidence in their own ability as a driver - this is a frequent issue.

Do you bash parents in therapy?

This question comes up frequently, usually with a nervous laugh. The short answer is no. I assume that if you are bring your teenager to therapy, you care about them and want the best for their mental, emotional, and social health. Why would you be bashed for that? As a parent and someone who works with teens and their parents (and as someone who has parents myself), I can attest that there is not a parent around who's doing everything perfect. So, I can tell you that I won't tell you you're doing it perfect all the time, but I also won't constantly throw you under the bus. We're all here to better your teenager's life, not to pick you apart and make you look bad.

What is adolescence counseling?

Adolescence is that period of life that typically goes from somewhere around 11 to somewhere around 18 or 19 years old. The age range can vary a little, but think tweens to twenty-ish. There are unique challenges in this stage of life, and even at different parts of this age range. Since I specialize in working with folks in their adolescence, I'm very accustomed to hearing the concerns and struggles, as well as understanding the language, social life, and thinking of the clients I see in this stage of life.

Is it normal for a 13 year old to go to therapy?

Of course, you'll probably expect the therapist to give a "yes" to this question. I'll meet your expectation here and say it's "normal" for anyone to go to therapy. Of course what's normal for one person may not be for another. So therapy may feel like a weird thing for you, or your teenager. If it does, that's also completely "normal." In the end, there are no real known negative effects from therapy at any age with any competent therapist. It is very common for me to field all kinds of questions about therapy from folks who are hesitant about starting. If you have questions, feel free to email or call me and ask.

How common is depression in teens?

I catch myself reminding people all that time that you will feel depressed, anxious, angry, etc at times. As humans, we just can't escape it (our pets even experience those emotions). Teen years are especially difficult, with everything going on in life, coupled with hormonal changes, as well as social and educational expectations. That said, depression - or any other unpleasant emotional or mood-related issue - becomes a problem when it starts to affect a teenager's functioning. If your teen is having trouble sleeping, oversleeping, has appetite changes, loses motivation or interest in enjoyable activities, seems particularly cranky or short-fused...those kinds of things can point to a bigger issue with depression. Or the depression may stick around longer than you're thinking is normal. At that point, you may be thinking about getting some outside help for that depression.

What causes anxiety in adolescents?

Where do we even start for this one? Between hormonal changes and life challenges (and changes), adolescents face a lot of anxiety-inducing things in life. Some fo the most common ones I've heard over the past 15 years or so working with teens: driving, need for high grades (or pressure from school for high grades), performing in sports, giving speeches, social situations, meeting parents' expectations, meeting peers' expectations, weight/body image, dating, earning scholarships, telling others things they don't want to hear. This is not a comprehensive list, but it's a start.