Teen Counseling in Bethesda, Silver Spring and Throughout Maryland

Your teenager can become self-aware, increase resilience, and make good choices throughout the turbulent teen years.  Our team of licensed therapists led by Robin Brannan LCMFT will use their expertise and experience to help it happen.

Teens and tweens, this page speaks to your parents… the people who are most likely calling us to schedule your therapy. Our teen therapists are Morgan Hull LGPAT, Melissa Shumacher LGMFT, Laura Willard LCSW-C, and Julia Camara (Clinical Intern). Click their names to read their messages for you.

Neuro Affirming Therapy that meets your teenager where they are — and helps them get where they want to go.

The teenage years are hard. Even for teens who seem to have it all together, the pressure can be relentless — academic expectations, social media, friendships that shift overnight, college looming, and a brain and body changing faster than anyone can keep up with.

If your teen is anxious, withdrawn, irritable, overwhelmed, or just not themselves lately, you're not imagining it. And you're not alone.

At Better Together Family Therapy, we provide teen counseling for families in Bethesda, Silver Spring, Chevy Chase, Kensington, and surrounding Maryland communities.

For neurodivergent teens, the journey through adolescence can be even more complicated. Executive function demands are building faster than skills are developing. Growing self awareness leads to awareness of being different. Peers begin exploring intimate relationships that may or not interest your teen.

Our therapists specialize in teen anxiety therapy, ADHD, autism, depression, school stress, and identity development — with a warm, neurodiversity-affirming, LGBTQIA+ affirming approach that helps teens feel genuinely understood, often for the first time.

Accepting new clients, online and in person. Easily reach our Kensington office from Bethesda, Silver Spring, Chevy Chase, Rockville, and Olney

Teen Anxiety Therapy Maryland: How We Help

Anxiety is the most common reason families reach out to us about their teens — and for good reason. Teens in high-achieving communities like Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Silver Spring face extraordinary pressure. Many of them have internalized the message that anything less than excellence is failure.

Our approach to teen anxiety therapy is evidence-based, practical, and tailored to each teen:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

  to help teens understand the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors — and to build real tools for managing anxious moments

• SPACE Treatment (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions)

  an evidence-based, parent-focused approach that helps anxious teens even when they refuse to attend therapy themselves

• Art therapy and expressive approaches

  for teens who process more through creating than talking

• Narrative and solution-focused therapy

  to help teens rewrite the anxious stories they've been telling themselves

• Nervous system and sensory-based strategies

  especially for neurodivergent teens whose anxiety is tangled up with sensory overload and masking

We don't just teach teens to "calm down." We help them understand their anxiety, reduce its grip on their daily lives, and build genuine confidence in their ability to handle hard things.

A Different Kind of Teen Therapy: Neurodiversity-Affirming & Identity-Affirming

Many teens come to us after previous therapy that didn't quite fit. Maybe their last therapist didn't understand ADHD. Maybe they spent sessions feeling analyzed instead of accepted. Maybe they were taught to mask who they are instead of understanding it.

We do things differently.

Every clinician at our practice has specialized training in ADHD, autism, and neurodiversity-affirming care. Our team includes therapists who are neurodivergent themselves, who are raising neurodivergent kids, and who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community. When your teen sits down with one of our therapists, they're sitting with someone who genuinely gets it — professionally and personally.

That means:

• We never treat ADHD or autism as something broken that needs fixing

• We help teens understand their own brains with curiosity instead of shame

• We address the real costs of masking, perfectionism, and trying to be someone you're not

• LGBTQIA+ teens are affirmed here — full stop

• We work on what your teen wants to change, not on making them more convenient or more "normal"

Frequently Asked Questions About Teen Counseling in Bethesda

How do I know if my teen needs counseling or is just being a teenager?

Some moodiness, privacy-seeking, and pushback are healthy parts of adolescent development. Consider teen counseling when struggles are persistent (lasting weeks rather than days), interfering with daily life (school, friendships, sleep, eating), or escalating over time. Trust your gut — parents are usually right when they sense something has shifted. Our diagnostic interview at the start of therapy can help clarify what's typical development and what needs support.

What are common reasons for neurodivergent teens to need or want therapy?

• Perfectionism and worry about school performance or the future, despite good grades

• Repetitive or stuck thinking patterns

• Feeling left out or different

• Difficulty making and keeping friends

• Struggling to stay on top of schoolwork

• Adjusting to a significant life change, such as divorce or change in schools 

• Persistently feeling discouraged and losing motivation 

• Anxiety and stress that impacts sleep, eating, and relationships 

• Wanting to explore what their ADHD, autism, or AuDHD means to them

My teen refuses to come to therapy. What can I do?

You have real options. First, letting your teen have input — like choosing between in-person and telehealth, or reviewing therapist bios — often softens resistance. Second, our therapists are skilled at building trust with reluctant teens; many of our most engaged clients started out refusing to speak. Third, if your teen truly won't attend, our SPACE Treatment program works entirely through parents and is proven to reduce teen anxiety without the teen attending a single session.

What is teen anxiety therapy like at your practice?

We use evidence-based approaches including CBT, art therapy, narrative therapy, and SPACE Treatment, tailored to your teen's personality and needs. Sessions are 45 minutes, weekly in most cases. Rather than just teaching coping skills, we help teens understand their anxiety, reduce avoidance, address perfectionism, and build genuine confidence. For neurodivergent teens, we also address the sensory and masking-related roots of anxiety that traditional therapy often misses.

Will you tell me what my teen says in therapy? Is teen therapy confidential?

Generally, no — and that's by design. Teens open up when they trust that therapy is their space. However, we will be encouraging your teen to connect with you and tell you themselves. We will also encourage your teen to invite you in to some of their sessions.

Whether or not your teen is telling you what they’re doing in therapy, we do keep parents meaningfully informed about themes, progress, and how to help at home. And of course, if your teen discloses risk of harm to themselves or others, we will involve you. We explain these boundaries clearly to both you and your teen at the very first session, so there are no surprises.

Do you work with teens who have ADHD, AuDHD or autism?

Yes — this is a core specialty of our entire practice. Every clinician has specialized training in ADHD, autism, and neurodiversity-affirming care, and our team includes therapists with lived experience of neurodivergence. We help teens understand their brains without shame, navigate executive function and social demands, address anxiety and burnout related to masking, and advocate for what they need at school and at home. We do not use ABA or approaches aimed at making teens appear neurotypical.

Are you LGBTQIA+ affirming?

Yes, fully and actively. Our practice includes therapists who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and all of our clinicians provide affirming care for teens exploring or living their identities. Your teen will never need to defend or explain who they are here.

Can therapy help with school stress, anxiety, or academic pressure?

Absolutely. The academic pressure facing teens in communities like Bethesda, Kensington, Silver Spring, and Chevy Chase — where expectations can be extremely high — is real and significant. We work with teens on anxiety, perfectionism, executive function, motivation, test anxiety, and the emotional weight of feeling like they are never doing enough. We also collaborate with schools when parents request this support.

What are the goals of teen therapy at Better Together Family Therapy?

Each teen or tween develops their own personal goals with their therapist. Most often, teens and tweens come to therapy to

• Improve impulse control related to ADHD

• Make friends and identify social cues

• Solve problems within their peer group

• Manage sensory overload and emotional dysregulation

• Express anger in a positive way

• Complete tasks on their own and know when to ask for help

• Explore dating, relationships, gender identity, and sexuality

• Manage anxiety and stress

• Gain self-esteem and positive self-image 

• Identify goals and a plan for the future

Do you offer telehealth for teens in Maryland?

Yes. Teens located anywhere in Maryland can attend therapy virtually. Many teens genuinely prefer telehealth — it removes transportation barriers, fits more easily around school and activities, and lets them talk from a space where they feel comfortable. Telehealth makes teen anxiety therapy available to Maryland families regardless of location — from the Eastern Shore to Western Maryland. In-person and hybrid options are also available at our Kensington office, minutes from Bethesda and Silver Spring.

How much does teen counseling cost? Do you take insurance?

Most of our clinicians charge $195 per 45-minute session, with fees ranging from $60 (with our clinical intern) to $235. We are out-of-network with all insurance, and payment is due at time of service. We provide Superbills and help you submit them — many families receive significant reimbursement through out-of-network benefits. We recommend calling your insurance to ask about out-of-network mental health coverage before your first session.

How long will my teen need to be in therapy?

It varies. Some teens make meaningful progress in a few months of solution-focused work; others benefit from longer-term support through ongoing challenges like ADHD, autism, or chronic anxiety. We review progress regularly with you and your teen, and we'll always be honest about what we recommend and why.

How do we get started?

Complete the appointment request form on our website. Our Client Care Coordinator will call you to learn about your teen, explain our policies, and make sure we're the right fit — and if we're not, we'll point you toward someone who is. Evening and Saturday appointments are available.

Better Together Family Therapy provides teen counseling for families in Bethesda, Silver Spring, Chevy Chase, Kensington, Rockville, Olney, and Northwest DC, with telehealth available throughout Maryland.