Teen Therapist in
Burlington,
Ontario
Registered teen therapists in Burlington, Ontario offering in-person and online psychotherapy for adolescents aged 12–17. CBT, DBT, attachment-based, trauma-informed, and family-systems approaches for anxiety, depression, school stress, self-esteem, trauma, and the relational challenges of adolescence. Free 15-minute discovery call, no waitlist.
Our teen therapists in Burlington
In-person at 3425 Harvester Rd · online across Ontario
2 practitioners
Alisa works with adolescents in-person at our Burlington clinic and online across Ontario, bringing a warm, culturally informed relational approach that adapts to where each teenager actually is — not where a protocol expects them to be. Her integrative CBT, DBT, EFT, and somatic awareness work is well-suited to teen anxiety, identity questions, perfectionism and academic pressure, trauma, and the particular challenges faced by adolescents from immigrant and multicultural families navigating belonging across cultures. Parental collaboration is offered where clinically appropriate and the teen consents.
Olga is a Gestalt-trained Registered Psychotherapist with 7+ years of experience working with adolescents and young adults in-person in Oakville and online across Burlington and Halton Region. Her relational, body-aware approach is particularly well-suited to teens who struggle with anxiety, shame, self-esteem, and the beginnings of relational and identity questions — as well as those carrying early trauma that is showing up in adolescence. She builds a genuine, non-judgmental therapeutic relationship at the pace the teenager sets.
More teen therapists — online serving Burlington
Specialist adolescent therapy · online across Ontario
3 practitioners
Lydia is our specialist in child and adolescent therapy, offering online sessions to Burlington-area teens and families across Ontario. As a Registered Early Childhood Educator and Child Development Specialist, she brings a depth of understanding of developmental stages that informs all her adolescent work. Her holistic, integrative approach draws on CBT, Trauma-Informed Therapy, EFT, Attachment Theory, and Internal Family Systems — adapting flexibly to each teen's age, neurodivergent profile, and family context. She also works with parents directly on parental mental health and navigating the challenges of raising teens with anxiety or developmental differences. Sessions from $110.
Justine is a Registered Social Worker (M.S.W., R.S.W.) offering teen and youth therapy online to Burlington-area clients and across Ontario. Her integrative approach combines CBT, DBT, attachment-based therapy, and mindfulness — and she is experienced in crisis intervention with adolescents, youth trauma, and working with families where the teen's difficulties are embedded in broader family dynamics. She also has particular depth in Indigenous youth mental health and identity.
Donna is a Social Worker and Psychotherapist with 18+ years of clinical experience offering therapy to adolescents and families online to Burlington clients and across Ontario. Her trauma-informed CBT and DBT framework is well-suited to teens navigating anxiety, depression, school-related stress, and trauma — particularly in cases involving family system complexity or adolescent crisis. She brings the clinical breadth that older teenagers and young adults often need.
Our Burlington practitioners see teen clients in-person at Anytime Anywhere Therapy, steps away from the clinic.
Teen therapy in Burlington, Ontario
Registered teen therapists in Burlington, Ontario are available at GestaltReview for in-person sessions at our Harvester Rd clinic and online across the province. Adolescence is one of the most psychologically complex periods of development — a time of identity formation, shifting family roles, intensifying peer relationships, and increasing academic and social pressure. Many teens benefit from having a safe, confidential space outside the family to explore what they are experiencing with a skilled practitioner who understands adolescent development.
Our Burlington teen therapists work with anxiety, depression, school-related stress, self-esteem, trauma, social difficulties, neurodivergence, identity questions, and the relational challenges that often surface during adolescence. Approaches include CBT, DBT, attachment-based therapy, trauma-informed frameworks, and family systems work. Parent involvement is included where appropriate and agreed to by the teenager.
In-person teen therapy in Burlington is available at 3425 Harvester Rd, Unit 213. Online therapy is available province-wide. Sessions from $110, are HST exempt, and all practitioners hold current CRPO or OCSWSSW registration.
How to find the right teen therapist in Burlington
Finding the right therapist for a teenager requires considering both the clinical fit and the personal fit. Adolescents are acutely sensitive to authenticity and power dynamics — they will not engage in a therapeutic relationship that feels imposed, performative, or adult-centric. The most important quality in a teen therapist is the ability to meet the young person where they are, earn their trust at their pace, and hold a genuinely non-judgmental stance.
Practically: for anxiety, depression, and school stress, evidence-based approaches like CBT and DBT provide structure and skills that many teens find useful and concrete. For trauma, attachment-based and somatic work is often more effective than purely cognitive approaches. For teens who are highly resistant to therapy, a more exploratory, relationship-first approach — such as Gestalt or person-centred work — tends to create the conditions for engagement before any structured intervention begins.
Whether to involve parents is a clinical and ethical question that our practitioners approach carefully, centred on the teen's consent and best interests. The free 15-minute discovery call is the right place to discuss this, the practitioner's approach, and whether they are a good fit for your teenager specifically.
Teen therapy approaches compared
Different therapeutic approaches suit different adolescent presentations. This table helps guide your choice before booking a discovery call.
| Approach | CBT / DBT | Attachment-based | Trauma-informed | Family systems | Integrative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, OCD | Relational difficulty, early adversity, identity | Trauma, PTSD, abuse, neglect | Family conflict, parental dynamics, systemic issues | Complex or mixed presentations |
| Structure | Structured, skill-based | Relational, exploratory | Phased, safety-first | Family-inclusive sessions | Adapted to teen |
| Teen engagement | High — concrete skills teens can use | Requires trust-building | Varies — paced carefully | Depends on family willingness | Flexible to resistance |
| Evidence for teens | Very strong | Strong | Strong | Growing | Varies |
| Parent involvement | Optional | Often included | Case-by-case | Central | Negotiated with teen |
Teen therapy across Halton Region and Ontario
In-person teen therapy is available in Burlington. Online teen therapy is available province-wide.
Common questions
At what age can a teenager see a therapist in Ontario?
In Ontario, there is no fixed minimum age for accessing psychotherapy. Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Social Workers can work with clients of any age, including young children, as long as they have appropriate training and the clinical context is appropriate. Our practitioners work with adolescents from approximately age 12 and upward. For younger children, Lydia Kellar is our specialist, working with children from age 6 through adolescence. Parental consent is generally required for minors under 16 in Ontario, though practitioners assess capacity on a case-by-case basis and follow the relevant professional and ethical guidelines for their regulatory body.
Do parents attend teen therapy sessions?
This depends on the practitioner's approach, the teenager's age and presentation, and what is clinically appropriate. For most adolescent therapy, individual sessions — where the teen is the primary client and sessions are confidential within the limits of safety — are the preferred structure. Parent involvement can include separate parent guidance sessions, occasional joint sessions, or regular updates, depending on what the teenager consents to and what the therapist determines is clinically useful. During the free discovery call, practitioners discuss their approach to parental involvement transparently so families can make an informed decision before booking.
How much does teen therapy cost in Burlington?
Teen therapy sessions in Burlington at GestaltReview range from $110 to $190 per 50-minute session, depending on the practitioner. Lydia Kellar, our child and adolescent specialist, charges $110 per session — one of the more accessible rates for specialised adolescent therapy in the region. Sliding scale pricing is available if cost is a barrier. All sessions are HST exempt. Most extended health benefit plans cover registered psychotherapy; confirm your plan covers the practitioner's specific designation and what the annual maximum is before booking. Insurance coverage applies to the teenager as client.
What if my teenager refuses to see a therapist?
Teen resistance to therapy is common and usually reflects a combination of anxiety about the unknown, reluctance to be seen as having a problem, or distrust of adults in general — rather than a clear statement about whether therapy would help. Parents in this position often benefit from a consultation with a therapist themselves, exploring how to have the conversation with their teenager and what conditions might make the prospect feel safer. Lydia Kellar offers parent guidance sessions that can help families navigate this. If a teenager is willing to try a single session without commitment, the free 15-minute discovery call — where there is no obligation to proceed — is often a low-barrier entry point.
Is online therapy effective for teenagers?
Research consistently supports online therapy as comparably effective to in-person therapy for adolescents with anxiety, depression, and trauma — the most common teen presentations. Many teenagers are actually more comfortable in the online format than in-person, because it removes the visibility of walking into a clinic and allows them to engage from a familiar, private space. Online teen therapy also expands the choice of practitioner significantly: Burlington teenagers can access our full group of adolescent-experienced therapists regardless of their in-person availability. For teens who benefit from the physical grounding of in-person work — particularly in trauma therapy — Alisa offers in-person sessions at our Burlington clinic.
What is the difference between a teen therapist and a child psychologist?
In Ontario, Registered Psychotherapists (CRPO) and Registered Social Workers (OCSWSSW) — the designations held by all our practitioners — are regulated mental health professionals who provide psychotherapy and counselling. Psychologists (CPO) are a separate profession with a broader scope including psychological testing and assessment. For most adolescent mental health presentations — anxiety, depression, trauma, relational difficulty — a registered psychotherapist or social worker specialising in adolescent work is the most appropriate choice. If formal psychoeducational testing is needed (for learning disabilities or ADHD assessment), that requires a referral to a registered psychologist. Our practitioners can support families in identifying when a psychoeducational referral might also be warranted.
Understanding adolescent therapy — editorial resources
GestaltReview's editorial content approaches psychological development and therapy from a relational perspective. While most of our articles focus on adult psychotherapy, the underlying concepts — contact, attachment, shame, self-awareness, and the body in emotional experience — are highly relevant to adolescent work, where these capacities are actively forming and often the source of the most acute difficulty.
Parents looking to understand what their teenager might be working on in therapy, and teenagers curious about what therapy actually involves, may find these articles a useful starting point.