Adolescence is hard on everyone in the house. The teen who used to tell you everything now answers in one word. Grades slip, the phone never leaves their hand, and every conversation about it turns into a fight. Or the worry runs the other way: your teen is anxious, withdrawn, not sleeping, and you can’t tell whether this is normal or something more.
I’m Patty Fiore, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Los Angeles with 20 years of experience working with teenagers, parents and families. Before private practice I worked inside the school system and with children with special needs, so I know what teens are dealing with during the day, not just what they report at night. I offer secure online sessions to teens and parents anywhere in California, in English and Farsi.
Therapy for teens (13+)
Teens get their own space with me, confidential and judgment-free. I use CBT because it gives teenagers concrete tools they can actually use at school and with friends, and EMDR when something painful is driving the behavior. Common reasons teens come to me:
- Anxiety, panic, perfectionism and school pressure
- Low mood, irritability, isolation and loss of motivation
- Social media, gaming and screen time that has taken over
- Friendship conflict, bullying and cyberbullying
- Vaping, alcohol and drug experimentation
- Self-esteem, body image and identity questions
- Adjusting to divorce, a move, a new school or a loss
- College applications and the transition to young adulthood
Coaching for parents
Sometimes the fastest way to help a teen is to work with the parents. Parent coaching is goal-directed and practical: we pick one battle, say phone limits, curfew, homework or a teen who has gone silent, and I give you specific words and steps to try that week. You don’t need your teen’s permission to start, and many families begin here. I can help you:
- Set limits around phones, screens and social media that actually hold
- Talk with your teen about alcohol, drugs, vaping and sex without the conversation shutting down
- Respond to defiance, lying and big emotions without escalating
- Get on the same page as co-parents, including after a divorce
- Support a teen with ADHD, learning differences or special needs
- Tell the difference between normal teen moodiness and a reason to worry
- Manage your own stress so you can be the steady one in the room
Younger children
Not everything waits for the teen years. I also coach parents of younger children: tantrums and defiance, school refusal, sibling conflict, big transitions like a new sibling or a divorce, and supporting a child with special needs or learning differences. We set one concrete goal, for example mornings without a meltdown, and I give you practical techniques to get there.
Family sessions
When the problem lives between people rather than inside one of them, we meet together. Family sessions are where parents and teens practice the conversations that keep going wrong at home, with me in the room to slow things down and translate. Most teen work includes a parent check-in every few weeks so everyone is moving in the same direction.
How teen therapy works with me
- Free 15-minute call with a parent first, then a short hello with your teen so they can decide for themselves
- Teen sessions are private. Parents get the big picture and what to do at home, not a transcript. Safety concerns are the one exception, and I explain that to every teen up front
- Online and flexible. Sessions fit around school, practice and jobs; teens just need a private room and a door that closes
- Practical. Everyone leaves with something to try before the next session
Persian and Iranian families
I was a teenager in an immigrant family myself, and I have a particular understanding of the pressures first- and second-generation teens and their parents carry: expectations around school and career, the pull between two cultures, and the things that are hard to say across a generation. Sessions are available in Farsi as well as English.
Speaking to parent groups
I also speak to parent organizations and school communities on the topics that come up most in my practice: teen alcohol, drugs and sex, and social media, cyberbullying and screen time. If your school or parent group would like a speaker, email my office.
Frequently asked questions
Do you see teenagers, or only parents?
Both. I work with teens ages 13 and up in their own confidential sessions, with parents on their own for coaching, and with the whole family together when that is what will move things forward. Most teen work includes a parent check-in every few weeks.
Will you tell me what my teen says in session?
Teens need privacy for therapy to work, so I keep the content of their sessions confidential. What I do share with parents is the big picture: how your teen is doing, what we are working on, and what you can do at home to help. The exception is safety. If I am worried about your teen's safety or anyone else's, you will hear from me right away, and I explain this to every teen in the first session.
My teen refuses to go to therapy. What can we do?
That is common and not a dead end. Start with a parent session. Often the most effective changes begin with how the adults respond, and a teen who sees a parent doing their own work is far more willing to try. When the teen is ready, the free 15-minute call lets them meet me with no commitment.
Is online therapy effective for teens?
Yes. Teens are usually more comfortable on video than in an office, and sessions fit around school, sports and jobs. Sessions are secure and HIPAA-compliant, and I ask that teens have a private space with the door closed.
What does parent coaching involve?
Parent coaching is practical and goal-directed. We pick one thing, for example nightly homework battles, phone limits that keep collapsing, or a teen who has stopped talking to you, and I give you specific things to say and do. We adjust week to week based on what happened at home.
Do you accept insurance for teen therapy?
I don't bill insurance; my practice is private pay. Individual teen or parent-coaching sessions are $250 and family sessions are $280, paid at the time of the session. On request I provide a superbill you can submit to your PPO for possible out-of-network reimbursement.
Do you offer sessions in Farsi?
Yes. I offer sessions in English and Farsi and have deep experience with Persian and Iranian families, including the particular pressures first- and second-generation teens and their parents face.
If any of this sounds like your house, reach out. We’ll start with a free 15-minute call and figure out together whether to begin with your teen, with you, or with everyone.
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