Therapy Approaches And What to Expect
How Psychotherapy Helps
Psychotherapy supports teens and young adults across a wide range of concerns:
Mental health and emotional well-being. Many teens and young adults navigate mood disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, phobias, and panic disorder, as well as stress related to academic and social pressures. Therapy helps young people identify unhelpful thought patterns, regulate their emotions, set realistic goals, and develop sustainable coping strategies.
Identity and self-exploration. Adolescence and young adulthood are naturally times to explore beliefs, values, and identity. Therapy offers a safe, supportive space for that exploration, including questions about self-image, self-esteem, relationships, and what matters most to them.
Social skills and connection. Therapy can strengthen communication, empathy, and assertiveness. This includes both verbal skills (clear, confident expression) and nonverbal awareness (eye contact, tone, body language), as well as active listening and the ability to advocate for one's own needs respectfully. Many therapy approaches have a strong interpersonal focus, helping young people build and sustain healthier relationships.
College students face their own distinct pressures: living away from home for the first time, academic demands, social pressures, and the ongoing work of developing an adult identity. Therapy can be a valuable resource at this stage, and many students also pursue testing accommodations through evaluation (see the Testing section for more).
In all of this work, Dr. Robokos and her associates draw on a range of therapeutic approaches tailored to each individual, and collaborate closely with families, schools, and other providers to support the young person across all areas of their life.
Types of Therapy: Approaches and What to Expect
There is no single form of therapy that works for everyone. Below is an overview of several evidence-based approaches, along with what each involves and who may benefit most.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the most widely used and well-researched forms of psychotherapy. It works by helping clients understand the connections between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and by learning new skills to shift unhelpful patterns. Sessions are structured and goal-oriented, and clients are often asked to practice skills between appointments.
Best suited for: Anxiety, depression, and other conditions where thought and behavior patterns play a central role.
Things to consider: CBT requires commitment to practicing skills outside of sessions. It is typically short-term, though some clients benefit from periodic check-ins over time.
Family Therapy
Family therapy involves working with the family as a whole to improve communication, resolve conflict, and create a more flexible and supportive home environment. Rather than focusing solely on the individual, it recognizes that a young person's wellbeing is deeply connected to the dynamics around them.
Best suited for: Families navigating sudden change, loss, conflict, or power struggles between parents and children.
Things to consider: It works best when all family members can participate consistently, which requires a shared time commitment.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT shifts the focus from changing thoughts and feelings to accepting them. Clients learn to relate to difficult experiences differently, guided by their own values and what feels meaningful to them. Mindfulness practices are central to this approach.
Best suited for: Anxiety, OCD, depression, grief, chronic pain, and clients who feel they have little control over their circumstances.
Things to consider: ACT is present-focused and may not be the primary approach for processing past trauma. Clients who find mindfulness practices difficult may need additional support getting started.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT combines acceptance with a belief in the capacity for growth and change. It teaches concrete skills in four areas: emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness. It is one of the most structured therapy approaches available.
Best suited for: Clients with intense emotional experiences, relationship difficulties, a history of trauma or adversity, or those who benefit from a highly skills-based framework.
Things to consider: DBT is intensive and typically involves individual sessions, group skills training, and regular homework. It requires significant commitment.
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)
IPT focuses on the relationship between interpersonal challenges and emotional distress. By identifying patterns in how a client relates to others and working to improve communication and connection, IPT addresses the relational roots of symptoms like sadness, loneliness, and anxiety.
Best suited for: Depression, grief, and relationship difficulties.
Things to consider: IPT is time-limited and focuses primarily on current relationships rather than past experiences or more individual internal factors.
Psychodynamic Therapy (PDT)
PDT explores how past experiences, early relationships, and unconscious patterns shape present-day difficulties. Through reflection on memories, emotions, and relational themes, clients develop deeper insight into themselves and the underlying sources of their struggles.
Best suited for: Clients seeking deeper self-understanding, longer-term support, or those whose difficulties feel rooted in earlier life experiences.
Things to consider: PDT is typically longer-term in nature, sometimes spanning months to years. Research suggests it may offer more lasting results for depression and anxiety compared to shorter-term approaches.
Many of these approaches can be thoughtfully combined, and the best path forward is always one that fits the individual. Dr. Robokos and her associates take care to assess each client and family to determine which approaches and techniques will be the most meaningful and effective fit, whether that includes role-playing, expressive techniques, journaling, mindfulness practices, or other creative tools suited to the person's age, needs, and strengths.
