Teen therapy · Indianapolis · Online in Indiana & Florida
Teen Therapy in Indianapolis
You're worried about your teen. Figuring out what would actually help is the hard part.
Are they irritable, anxious, angry, sad? Buckling under the pressure to perform? Pulling away from you, from friends, from the things that used to light them up? Is their drinking or drug use something you're trying not to think about?
Jenny Staats, LMSW, works with teens 15 and up on ADHD, anxiety, depression, school pressure, friendships, and the parts of growing up nobody warned them about. Without being one more adult telling them what to do.
In person in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis · Online across Indiana · Ages 15 and up
Ages 15 and up
High school, college, and the strange years right after. Teens see Jenny.
Not another lecture
Jenny's job is to understand what's going on, not to deliver a list of things your teen should be doing.
Parents are part of it
With the teen in the loop. Jenny explains up front how parent communication and confidentiality work.
In person or online
Broad Ripple office (directions) or video anywhere in Indiana. Also online in Florida.
For parents
When everyday life starts feeling like too much for them, and for you
The teenage years can be turbulent for teens and for the people who love them. Some of that is normal. Some of it isn't, and the hard part is telling the difference from the outside.
You may know exactly what you want help with. You may just know that something has changed. Either one is a reasonable place to start a conversation.
Therapy gives teens a place to work out what they're feeling, why, and what to do with it, with someone who isn't grading them, parenting them, or comparing them to anyone.
- Worry that follows them from school to home to bedtime
- Assignments that feel impossible to start, despite every reminder
- Big reactions, shutdowns, or "I don't know" to every question
- Less interest in friends, activities, or things they used to enjoy
- Sleeping all day, or not at all
- Friendship drama that has stopped being funny
- Grades sliding, or perfect grades at a cost you can see
- Drinking or vaping you're not sure how to bring up
- A growing gap between how they seem to others and how they seem to you
- A kid you can't quite reach anymore
Recognize a few of these? Fifteen minutes with Jenny is a reasonable next step.
Schedule a free consultationFor the teen reading this
Possibly because someone sent you the link.
Here's the deal. You get to have questions. You get to have opinions about what you want help with, and what you don't. If the adults around you are missing something, that matters, and Jenny wants to hear it.
You can tell her what's hard, what you're tired of hearing, and what you'd actually like to be different. You can also ask the practical stuff:
Those are good questions. The answers, roughly: whatever you want; less than you think, and she'll tell you exactly where the line is; and no. Come once and decide.
Jenny is not going to lecture you, tell your parents you're fine when you're not, or pretend to be seventeen. She's going to listen, ask decent questions, and help you figure out what works for you. That's the whole job.
Meet Jenny Staats, LMSW
A therapist who has spent a lot of time in schools
Before private practice, Jenny worked with teens and parents in school settings, which means she has seen the whole picture up close: the classroom, the hallway, the group chat, and the kitchen-table conversation afterward. School, friendships, family, and emotional health don't arrive separately. She doesn't treat them separately either.
Her style is warm, practical and collaborative. She helps teens notice their patterns, build on what's already working, and try strategies they'll actually use. For a teen with ADHD, that might be starting tasks and surviving the frustration when they don't. For another, it might be anxiety, a friendship that fell apart, or getting feelings into words for the first time.
She also works with anxiety, depression, and trauma, including EMDR when something specific is sitting underneath.
How it works
What teen therapy with Jenny looks like
Parents usually make the first call. Teens do the work. Here's how the two fit together.
A 15-minute call with Jenny
Usually a parent. Tell her what you're noticing, what you've tried, and what you're hoping changes. If your teen wants to be on the call, even better. Jenny will say honestly whether she's the right fit.
The first session
Jenny meets the teen, usually with a short parent check-in at the start or end. She explains how confidentiality works, what gets shared with parents and what doesn't, and asks the teen what they want out of this. The goals have to make sense to the person doing the work.
The work
55-minute sessions, usually weekly to start. Noticing what happens before feelings get overwhelming. Practicing how to say what you need. Strategies for school, organization, and getting started. Sometimes something to try between sessions, and an honest conversation about whether it helped.
Parents, in the loop
Parent sessions when they're useful, with the teen knowing what's being discussed. Jenny will tell you how it's going without reporting what was said. When the whole family needs to be in the room, family therapy is the better tool.
Teens 15 and up, college students and young adults, with Jenny Staats, LMSW.
Broad Ripple, Indianapolis (directions and parking) or online while your teen is in Indiana.
55 minutes, usually weekly to start.
Jenny is out-of-network and provides a superbill. Current fees are on the Fees & FAQ page.
A free 15-minute phone consultation with Jenny. Requests are confirmed by email.
ADHD · Anxiety · Depression · Family therapy
Questions parents ask first
FAQ about teen therapy with Jenny
Are counseling sessions with a teen confidential?
Mostly, and Jenny will explain exactly how before the first session. Teens need room to say things their parents won't hear, or therapy doesn't work. At the same time, Indiana parents generally have rights to a minor's records, and there are situations where Jenny must share information: danger to self or others, suspected abuse. She lays out what stays in the room, what gets shared, and how, at the start, so nobody is surprised later. If your family's situation is unusual, ask about it at the consultation.
How are parents involved?
Parents often bring observations and questions a teen can't, and Jenny wants them. Involvement usually means a check-in at the start, parent sessions when they're useful, and the teen knowing what's being discussed. When the whole household needs to be in the room, family therapy is a better fit than teen therapy with a parent sitting in.
What if my teen doesn't want to go?
Say that on the consultation call; it's the most common starting point. Jenny would rather hear what your teen is dreading than pretend it isn't there. Often the first session is framed as a trial: come once, see if Jenny is someone you'd talk to, decide after. A teen who chose to come back is worth ten who were made to.
What ages does Jenny see?
Fifteen and up, through college and into young adulthood. If your child is younger, say so on the call and we'll point you to someone who works with that age.
My teen has ADHD. Is this the right place?
Yes. ADHD is one of Jenny's main areas, and most of the everyday trouble that comes with it, starting assignments, finishing them, losing track of time, the shame spiral after a missed deadline, is exactly what she works on. ADHD therapy for teens and adults has the detail; the myths piece is worth reading together.
How long does counseling take?
It depends on the teen and the problem. Some need a handful of sessions to get through a rough patch; others benefit from ongoing support for several months. Jenny sets goals with your teen early and talks openly about progress, including when it's time to taper off.
Can we do this online?
Yes, by video anywhere in Indiana, with the same 55-minute sessions. Your teen needs a private place to talk, which in practice means a closed door, headphones, and parents genuinely out of earshot. For many teens that's a parked car. Online therapy is also available in Florida.
How can I support my teen during counseling?
Show interest in how it's going without asking what was said. Keep talking at home, especially about ordinary things. Make the house a place where a bad day can be said out loud. And let your teen own it: driving them there is support; debriefing them in the car afterward is not.
Can I speak with Jenny first?
Yes. A free 15-minute phone call with Jenny is how everyone starts. Tell her what you're noticing and what you're hoping changes; she'll tell you honestly whether she's the right fit, and if not, who is.
Start with what you're noticing
You don't need the whole situation figured out before you call. Tell Jenny what's changed and what you're hoping for, and let her take it from there.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation with JennyIn person in Indianapolis · Online in Indiana · Fees on the Fees & FAQ page