How It's Complicated works
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Find your therapistUse our free matching service for personal recommendations, or browse our network of 2,500+ therapists yourself.
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Create your free accountSign up in under 2 minutes. All you need is an email and a password, and you're ready to go.
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Start therapyReach out to your therapist and book your first session within 24 hours. Online or in person, in 60+ languages.
Learn more about adolescents
Therapy for adolescents refers to professional mental health support tailored to young people, typically between the ages of 12 and 18. This period involves significant physical, emotional, and social change, and many adolescents encounter difficulties that benefit from specialist support: anxiety, depression, identity questions, family conflict, school pressure, or the aftermath of difficult experiences. Therapists who work with young people are trained to adapt their methods to the developmental stage, building a working relationship with the young person while holding the wider family context in mind.
Therapy for adolescents does not require a crisis. Many young people begin because something feels persistently difficult, not because everything has broken down.
- You feel anxious, low, or irritable much of the time and are not sure why
- You have withdrawn from friends, hobbies, or things you used to enjoy
- You are struggling with school pressure, performance anxiety, or decisions about the future
- Family conflict or change at home is affecting your wellbeing
- You are questioning your identity, sexuality, or sense of who you are
- You have experienced something difficult and find it hard to stop thinking about it
- You are hurting yourself or thinking about it, even occasionally
Several therapeutic methods are well suited to working with adolescents, often combining talking with more active or creative elements.
- CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) CBT helps young people identify unhelpful thought patterns and develop practical coping strategies. It works well for anxiety, low mood, and school-related stress.
- Family therapy Family therapy involves one or more family members alongside the young person, addressing relational patterns that contribute to the difficulties. It is particularly useful when conflict at home is a central factor.
- Systemic therapy Systemic therapy looks at the young person within their wider social context, including family, school, and peer relationships, rather than focusing on the individual alone.
- Art therapy Art therapy uses creative expression as a way into feelings that are difficult to put into words, and can be especially effective with adolescents who find direct talking difficult.
It's Complicated is a therapist-founded mental health platform connecting clients with verified practitioners across Europe and globally, in over 60 languages. We work with over 2,500 vetted therapists, with in-person availability in Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon, Vienna, and other major cities, alongside online sessions worldwide. It's Complicated is free to use, and you pay your chosen therapist directly at rates they set.
Finding a therapist who a young person will actually engage with takes more than a directory search. Our matching service is built to remove that friction. You complete a short survey, our psychologists combine data-driven insights with human judgement to identify the right therapists for your situation, and you choose from a shortlist of strong candidates. You can also browse our directory directly if you'd prefer to choose yourself.
Get matched with a therapist who specialises in working with adolescents, or browse the directory.
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