There is nothing more important in counseling than building a trusting reliable and comfortable relationship. When you are dealing with adolescents, the teen needs to know that the person they are speaking with is relatable to their age. Most kids who enter into counseling are extremely reluctant to share because they are convinced that the counselor is going to take sides with the adults figures in their lives and not able to understand their point of view. As a school counselor and mother of a middle school and a high school student I have immersed myself into the lives of kids at this age. To further support my mission I offer a free thirty-minute consultation either in person or over the phone, in order for my clients to determine if they feel we can work together. I do not believe in taking sides. I do believe the key to being a successful adolescent and family counselor is the ability to see, to hear and to understand multiple points of view.
