Parents, this is for you.
It’s overwhelmingly challenging to be a teen trying to manage anxiety and concerns around food and body image, and it’s heart-wrenching and can feel helpless to be the concerned parent of a teen going through these challenges.
You’re seeing your once bubbly and full-of-life child all of a sudden seeming more irritable, isolating, and like a shell of themselves. You can tell their anxiety is through the roof. You notice they’re not eating, they’re bingeing , or they’re escaping to the bathroom after meals—you suspect to purge. You know there’s something even deeper going on. You don’t want to push them further away, but you’re worried about their health and happiness. You want to help them, but you don’t know what to say or do.
I can help.
Your child doesn’t have to keep feeling this way. It’s such an important time in their lives, and they deserve to enjoy it with friends, and feel comfortable in their own skin.
I can help them gain control over their anxiety, ditch the food guilt, feel more at home in their bodies again, and cope with the unique stress that comes with high school and college.
I have worked with teens who are going through all kinds of challenges (eating disorders, anxiety/worrying, stress- about friendships/academic pressure/graduation and what comes next, bullying, self-harm, depression, etc.
Even though every teen I work with is unique with their own gifts, challenges, and goals, some parts of my approach stay the same. I’m a down-to-earth therapist who actively listens and also responds (I don’t blend into the wall and stare at my clients for 50 minutes), loves humor, embraces my client’s strengths, and talks to my teen clients in a conversational, casual, and relatable way.
The first step is to contact me by using the form below so we set up a time to talk. During this phone call, I can learn more about your child from your perspective (their strengths, their struggles, etc.), and I can share my philosophy working with teens (building trust with my teen clients, and also how I include parents in the process), and we can begin to talk about how all work as a team to help your teen feel like themselves again.
If your teen is struggling with an active eating disorder, I’ll assess and we can discuss the best plan—likely including an eating disorder-informed Dietician and medical provider in conjunction with our work. This approach allows for holistic treatment, maximum benefits and lifelong changes. We’ll possibly discuss other levels of care to start if more appropriate at this time.
Let’s get your child feeling their best again.
Let’s do this together.
Please fill out the form to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation. I will return your message within two business days. I look forward to hearing from you!
Melanie Jennings, LMHC
melanie@freedominfeeling.com
(315) 236-4970