Signs your teen might benefit from support
Every teen goes through ups and downs. It may help to talk with someone when you notice:
- Constant worry about school, grades, or the future.
- Pulling away from friends, family, or activities they used to love.
- Big changes in sleep, appetite, or energy.
- Irritability, anger, or tears that seem to come from nowhere.
- Stress about friendships, social media, or fitting in.
- Struggling after a family change, a move, or a loss.
If you are a teen reading this: noticing that you are struggling takes courage. Talking to a therapist does not mean something is wrong with you. It means you deserve support.
What teens work on in therapy
Sessions are shaped around what matters to your teen. Common reasons teens and parents reach out include:
Anxiety and worry
Practical tools for racing thoughts, panic, and school stress. As a therapist for teens with anxiety, Agustina uses CBT-informed skills alongside a warm, relational approach. Learn more about anxiety therapy.
Low mood
Support for sadness, numbness, or losing interest in things. Our depression therapy page explains how we approach mood.
Friendships and social media
Making sense of conflict, exclusion, online pressure, and the need to belong.
Identity and self-esteem
Exploring who you are and building a kinder inner voice, at your own pace.
Family changes
Separation, blended families, moves, immigration, or grief. Sometimes family counselling sessions help alongside individual work.
Big emotions
Learning to notice, name, and ride out intense feelings using skills drawn from DBT and CBT.
Privacy, consent, and the role of parents
Trust is the heart of teen therapy. Teens are more likely to open up when they know what stays private. At the free consult, we explain how confidentiality works, what information may be shared with parents or guardians, and the limits of privacy, for example when someone's safety is at risk.
For anyone under 18, a parent or guardian is involved in getting started. After that, how involved parents are depends on the teen's age, needs, and wishes, and on Ontario's consent rules. Some families like regular check-ins; others prefer occasional parent sessions. There is no minimum age to begin, and we talk through what fits your family together.
Parents, if you are feeling worried, you are welcome to book the consult first and ask every question you have. Our family counselling page also describes parent support sessions.
How parents can help between sessions
Parents often ask what they can do at home. Small things matter: listening without rushing to fix, keeping routines around sleep and screens steady, and letting your teen know that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
It is also okay if your teen does not want to talk about sessions. Privacy is part of what makes therapy feel safe. If you are worried, you can always reach out to ask general questions about how things are going, and we will share what we can within the consent agreed at the start.
Looking after yourself counts too. Supporting a struggling teen can be draining, and parent support sessions are available if you need a space of your own.
How online teen therapy works
- 1
Free 15-minute consult
A short video call with a parent or guardian, and the teen if they would like, to talk about goals, consent, and privacy.
- 2
First session
Your teen joins by secure video from a private space in Ontario. Many teens find talking from home feels less intimidating than an office.
- 3
Ongoing support
Sessions are 50 minutes, often weekly or every two weeks at first. We check in on how things are going and adjust together.
Teen therapy online fits around school, sports, and part-time jobs, with no commute. Read is virtual therapy as effective as in-person for more on online sessions. We see clients online across Ontario only.
Meet your teen therapist
Agustina Jorquera, Ed.D., M.Ed., RP
Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO) · English & Spanish
Agustina works with adolescents, adults, couples, and families. With teens, she offers a calm, non-judgmental space and practical tools, while respecting each teen's pace and privacy.
Her approach is relational and integrative, drawing on psychodynamic and attachment-based perspectives alongside practical tools from CBT and DBT. She holds a doctorate (Ed.D.) and a master's degree (M.Ed.) in counselling psychology and psychotherapy from the University of Toronto, and brings approximately 10 years of clinical experience in hospital programs and private practice. She offers sessions in English and Spanish.
Terapia para adolescentes en español
Ofrecemos terapia para adolescentes en español o en inglés, en línea en todo Ontario. Los padres pueden hablar con nosotros en el idioma que prefieran. Conozca más sobre nuestra terapia en español.
Fees and insurance receipts
- Individual session (50 minutes): $185
- Extended session (75 minutes): $270
- Initial video consult (15 minutes): free
Sessions are $185 for 50 minutes or $270 for 75 minutes, and the 15-minute consult is free. We provide receipts you can submit to your extended health plan. Many plans cover services by Registered Psychotherapists, but coverage varies, so please check your plan before you begin. We do not direct bill insurance companies. Full details are on our fees and insurance page, and our article on whether counselling is covered by insurance in Ontario explains what to ask your provider.
A note on safety
If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8 for the Suicide Crisis Helpline, call 911, or go to your nearest emergency department. Teens can also reach Kids Help Phone any time by calling 1-800-668-6868 or texting CONNECT to 686868. Buena Vita Therapy is not an emergency crisis service, and online sessions are not a substitute for urgent care.
Frequently Asked Questions About Teen Therapy
Helpful reading
- High-functioning anxiety and imposter syndrome
- Virtual therapy for anxiety in Ontario
- Is counselling covered by insurance in Ontario?
External resources: Kids Help Phone · Verify any therapist's registration with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)