92 Sultana Ave, North York, ON M6A 1T3, Canada | Free Consultation
Teen Therapy
Online Counselling Across Ontario
Are You Worried About Your Teen?
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Does your teen seem overly stressed or irritable ?
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Do they not seem like 'themselves' anymore?
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Maybe they seem sad a lot of the time or no longer seem to enjoy the activities they once loved?
You may have noticed mood swings, more arguments at home, or that your teenager has been spending more time alone. They might say they just feeling stressed “for no reason,” you may hear them struggling with sleep, or they may appear to be easily irritable. As a parent, it can feel overwhelming and stressful when everything you’re saying just doesn’t seem to be helping.
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At Creating Connections Counselling Services, we specialize in teen therapy and adolescent counselling; providing services in North York and online across Ontario. Our goal is to give teens a safe, non-judgmental space to talk about what they’re going through and to equip parents with tools to support their teens at home.
Does My Teen Really Need Therapy?​
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Being a teenager today comes with unique pressures; social media, academic demands, identity struggles, navigating friendships and complex family dynamics. Many teens feel stressed, sad, and disconnected, but unfortunately they don’t always have the coping skills to manage these emotions.
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When teens don’t have this adult support they often turn to friends for the guidance and support they are craving. This may not always have the most favorable results.​ Whether your teen is struggling with anxiety, depression, substance use, or oppositional behavior, therapy offers a path forward.​​
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Our teen therapists understand that adolescent mental health support looks different than counselling for adults. Teens need someone they can trust, someone outside of their immediate family who can listen without judgment, and who helps them feel less alone. For parents, therapy can offer peace of mind, knowing your child is getting professional support from a child and teen therapist who specializes in these challenges.
Meet Our Teen Therapists
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Specialized Support for Teens
Many teens today face challenges that can feel overwhelming for both them and their parents. Some of the most common concerns we support include:
1. Counselling for Teens After Divorce or Family Changes
Family changes such as divorce, separation, or blending families can be very hard on teens. They may feel torn between parents, act out at home, or shut down emotionally. Teen counselling gives them a safe place to talk about these feelings, build coping skills, and learn healthier ways to adjust. Parents often notice their teen becoming calmer and more open to a relationship once they feel supported in therapy.
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2. Support for Teens Who Sleep A lot or Lack Motivation
When a teen is sleeping all day, refusing to get out of bed, or avoiding responsibilities, it can be very concerning and stressful for their families. Oversleeping can be a sign of anxiety, depression, or situational avoidance. Counselling for a depressed teen or a teen who is lacking motivation, can help them explore what has triggered their current experience and can teach them strategies to rebuild healthy routines. With therapy, many teens regain, structure, and a stronger sense of direction and feel energized again.
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3. Counselling for Teen Anxiety and Panic Attacks
If your teen seems worried all the time, overthinks everything, gets panicked, or avoids social situations, it can be stressful for both them and you. Our teen anxiety therapists help adolescents learn practical ways to calm their thoughts, manage panic, and handle daily stress. Through counselling, an anxious teen can gain tools to face school, friends, and family life with more confidence. At Creating Connections, our teen anxiety support program is unique because we don’t just focus on the teen, we also equip parents with tools and guidance. This side-by-side support means changes happen faster and are more likely to last long after counselling ends.
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Our Teen Support Program is a 6-week program where two of our teen therapy specialists work side by side, one with your teen and one with the parents. Both parent and child get their own private space, so teens can feel safe to be open, while parents can still learn strategies to support them. The therapists collaborate behind the scenes, while respecting confidentiality, to make sure the tools you are learning match what your teen is practicing, giving both of you the guidance to move forward most effectively.
4. Counselling for OCD in Teens
Some teens may also struggle with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) or OCD like tendencies. Parents can often be unaware of their child’s struggles with OCD, because the obsessive or compulsive thoughts occur out of view, inside their teen’s mind, and may not be as apparent as regular anxiety. What parents might notice instead are repetitive habits, sometimes seemingly innocuous, or a lot of worry that comes up if the teen can’t do something in a certain way. Our teen counsellors are trained to understand OCD and can provide guidance and safe, proven support for OCD in teens. Getting help early often makes the biggest difference, so please reach out if these symptoms sound familiar
When your teen is struggling with Anxiety or OCD, they may be trying to hide it, but inside they feel exhausted and overwhelmed. Our Teen anxiety therapy support provides tools to that can help teens manage their symptoms and feel calmer, more balanced and able to focus on other areas of their life.​​​
​5. Teens Struggling with Depression, Self-Harm, or Substance Use
Some teens carry heavy sadness, show signs of depression, or even turn to self-harm or substance use. This can feel frightening and overwhelming for parents. Knowing their teen is struggling but feeling both helpless and afraid for their teen's safety. Therapy for teens with depression offers a safe place where a teenager can share their challenges openly, without fear of judgement. Our therapists work with teens on safety planning, healthier coping tools, and cognitive reframes that ensure both current safety and long term gains. Parents are included in the counselling process in ways that help them feel reassured and guided, without breaking the teen’s trust. With help, teens often find safer ways to cope and families feel less alone. ​​​
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6. Counselling for Teens Facing School Stress and Social Pressures​
School can be one of the biggest sources of stress for teens, whether it’s heavy workloads, social pressures, friendship struggles, bullying, or school refusal. ​Counselling helps teens talk about what’s weighing on them, find ways to handle stress, and build stronger confidence in school and social settings.
Parents often see their teens become more resilient and less reactive when they have the right tools and support. Family changes such as divorce, separation, or blending families can be very hard on teens. They may feel torn between parents, act out at home, or shut down emotionally. Teen counselling gives them a safe place to talk about these feelings, build coping skills, and learn healthier ways to adjust. Parents often notice their teen becoming calmer and more open to a relationship once they feel supported in therapy.​​
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Contact Us To See How We Can Support Your Teenager!
Evidence-Based Therapies for Teens – How We Help
Without appropriate support, many teens get stuck in a downward spiral of stress, isolation and self-harm. Every teen’s struggles will look different. At times the challenges are apparent to friends and family while other times a teen may be struggling alone.
In therapy, we explore emotions, thoughts, and relationships in a way that feels safe and relatable for teens. Together, we identify the root challenges, not just the symptoms and set goals to support ongoing change.
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Types of Therapy and Approaches We Use:
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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Helps teens notice unhelpful thoughts and shift them toward more balanced, realistic ones. CBT also gives them every day coping tools to handle anxiety, depression, and stress.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Mindfulness Skills
Teaches teens how to manage big emotions, cope with urges like self-harm, and handle relationship stress. Mindfulness tools, like grounding and calming exercises, help reduce anxiety and bring a sense of balance and self-kindness.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Supports teens in facing tough circumstances, thoughts and feelings without self-judgment, and by helping them focus on being a person they can respect. This can ease anxiety, depression, and struggles around identity.
Narrative Therapy
Encourages teens to see themselves as more than their problems. By “re-writing” their story, they can build self-confidence, a stronger sense of identity, and hope for what’s ahead.
Trauma-Informed Therapy
Creates a safe, supportive space for teens who have gone through hard or overwhelming experiences. This approach helps them heal at their own pace while learning healthy coping strategies.
Somatic and Body-Based Strategies
Helps teens understand how stress shows up in their bodies, like stomach aches, headaches, or restlessness and teaches grounding, breathing, and gentle movement to bring calm and focus.
You Might Still Have Questions Or Concerns About Anxiety Therapy…
How do I know if my teen needs therapy or if they are just going through a phase?
Therapy gives teenagers a space to experience and share their emotions with someone outside of their family unit. The teen years are a time of developing independence. Many teens struggle to share with their parents as they feel that needing support from their parents means they are being childish. Regardless of how intense your teens current challenges are, whether you’ve noticed significant changes in their mood, sleep patterns, school performance or attendance, or significant changes in their friendships, therapy can help them process what is going on for them emotionally. In therapy we encourage and support teens to develop a healthy relationship with themselves and their family members, so they can learn to balance independence with familial connection. Our free consultation call gives you space to share what’s going on and start making sense of it. Together, we’ll look at ways to support your teen and lighten the load for you, so you leave the call with more clarity and a plan for next steps.
What if my teen doesn’t want to go to therapy?
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It is very common for teens to be hesitant about starting therapy. During our free consultation call we can talk through strategies you can use when discussing therapy with your teenage child. Our adolescent counselling therapists have specific experience working with teens and know how to help a teen feel comfortable in the therapy environment. Rather than feeling like a clinical or forced conversation, our teenage clients look forward to their sessions as a space to express themselves. Often, even the most reluctant teens discover that therapy becomes a space they actually really value.
The good news is that even if your teen isn’t ready to participate in counselling, you can still help them. Our parent support sessions are a place where parents can come to a better understand what their child is experiencing and learn how to truly support them. There are many impactful steps we can take together, even before your teen decides to join in.
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Is Creating Connections the right address if I’m worried my teen is self-harming or using substances?
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Yes. Please reach out right away if you’re worried your teen may be self-harming or using drugs or alcohol. Our teen therapists specialize in supporting adolescents who struggle with self-harm, substance use, and related mental health challenges like depression or anxiety. We provide a safe space where your teen can create a safety plan and learn healthier coping strategies. Parents can also meet with a teen therapist to learn more about how to support their teen at home.
Take the First Step in Getting Support
For You and Your Teen
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Most teens go through periods of stress, sadness, or defiance, as difficult as it is to experience it is normal. However, your family doesn’t have to face these challenges alone. With the right support, your child can learn to manage their emotions, build confidence, and start feeling like themselves again.
92 Sultana Ave, North York, ON M6A 1T3