Anxiety & stress
Worry that won't switch off, panic, school and test pressure, social anxiety, trouble sleeping.
Teen Counseling · Prairieville, Louisiana
A teen therapist in Prairieville your teenager will actually talk to.
Teenagers rarely announce that they're struggling. It usually shows up as anger, shutting down, slipping grades, constant worry or not wanting to leave their room. I'm Melissa Shaw, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 24 years of experience, and I've spent much of my career working with adolescents and their families.
- Ages 12–19 and college students
- Confidential, in person
- Accepting new clients
What teens come in for
Common reasons families call
Depression & low self-esteem
Withdrawing from friends and activities, irritability, feeling worthless, comparing themselves to everyone online.
ADHD & school struggles
Focus, organization, motivation, homework battles and the frustration that builds up around them.
Friendships & social life
Being left out, group-chat drama, a best friend who turned on them, bullying, and the loneliness of not fitting anywhere.
Family & life changes
Conflict at home, divorce or a blended family, grief and loss, a move, a breakup, or a friend group falling apart.
Everything teen
What we work on
For the teen who won't talk
Shut-down teens are usually not defiant, they're protecting themselves. We start with no pressure and no lectures, and most of them start talking once they see what this actually is.
For the teen doing too much
Honors classes, sports, work and a full social calendar, held together by anxiety. We work on sleep, pressure and what happens when they stop performing for a minute.
For the teen who's grieving
Teens grieve sideways: anger, withdrawal, or acting like nothing happened. Years of hospice work taught me what that looks like and what helps. More on grief →
For the parents
You're part of this. I'll tell you what would help at home, and parents can also be seen on their own. More on parenting support →
Heading to college soon? See counseling for college students →
Friend trouble
When the problem is their friends
Friendship is most of a teenager's world, so when it goes wrong it isn't a small thing. Being dropped from a group chat, watching a best friend pick someone else, being talked about at school, or being the one who always gets left out can look from the outside like drama and feel from the inside like the floor giving way.
We work on what's actually in their control: reading situations more accurately, saying something instead of swallowing it, handling exclusion without concluding something is wrong with them, and recognizing a friendship that has turned mean. For teens who struggle to make friends at all, we work on the practical skills, starting conversations, joining a group, and tolerating the awkward part.
Bullying gets treated seriously and separately, including what to document, when adults need to step in, and how to keep a teen from carrying the blame for it. Online counts. So does being excluded rather than targeted.
Parents usually ask what to do when their teen won't tell them anything. Often the answer is less advice and more presence, and I'll help you work out what to say and when to step back. More on parenting support →
How I work with teens
Straight talk, practical tools, no lectures
Teens can spot a script. I don't use one. We start by figuring out what they actually want to be different, then work on the skills that get them there, drawing on CBT and DBT for managing anxiety, anger and big emotions, and on solution-focused work so sessions don't drift.
Confidentiality matters for teens to open up, so I explain up front what stays between us and what doesn't, such as anything involving their safety. Parents aren't left in the dark. I keep you in the loop on how things are going and what would help at home.
I also work with the whole family when that's what the situation calls for, and I see younger children and adults, so families don't have to split across several offices.
I'm also on my third round of parenting a high schooler, with one already off to college, so I know the teenage years from the parent's chair as well as the counselor's.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
- Family Systems
- Strength-Based
- Christian Counseling (on request)
Practical details
Sessions, fees and location
$160Teen or individual session
15 minComplimentary consultation
$280Both parents together
I don't bill insurance. Private pay keeps your teen's care confidential, with no mental-health diagnosis sent to an insurer and no outside limit on how long we work together. A small number of reduced-fee time slots may be available. They are limited, set at specific times, require documentation of income, and often have a waiting list, so please ask at your consultation.
Office hours
- Monday
- 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
- Tuesday
- 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm
- Thursday
- 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
- Friday
- 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (alternating weeks)
After-school and early-evening times fill up first, so it's worth calling ahead.
Location
15655 Airline Hwy
Prairieville, LA 70769
Serving Prairieville, Gonzales, St. Amant and Baton Rouge, including the Highland Road area. All sessions are held in person, a short drive down Airline Highway.
Questions
Parents usually ask
What ages do you consider teens?
Roughly 12 through 19, including college students. I also see younger children and adults, so siblings and parents can be seen too.
Will you tell me what my teen says?
Sessions are confidential, and I explain the limits at the start, such as anything involving safety. You'll hear how therapy is going in general terms, and what would help at home, rather than a transcript of each session. That trust is usually what makes teens willing to talk at all.
My teen says they don't want to come. Now what?
That's normal, and it's worth a call. Often the first session is simply about meeting me and seeing that nobody is going to lecture them. Many teens who arrive reluctant end up doing the real work once they know what it's like.
My teen's problem is really their friends. Is that worth coming in for?
Yes. Friendship trouble, exclusion and bullying hit teens hard and affect sleep, school and mood. We work on what they can control, and on whether adults need to step in.
Do you take insurance?
No. I'm private pay and accept cash or check. Sessions are $160. A small number of reduced-fee time slots may be available with documentation of income. They are limited and may have a waiting list.
Where are sessions held?
In person, at my office on Airline Highway in Prairieville. After-school and early-evening times work well around school, sports and work schedules.
Contact
Let's talk about your teen
Reach out to request a complimentary 15-minute consultation. I'll get back to you as soon as I can, usually within one business day.
To protect your privacy, please don't include detailed health information in this form. We can talk about that on the phone.