Adolescence is an exciting period of growth and maturation. It lays a foundation for the adults we will become. Adolescence can also be an extremely frustrating, isolating, awkward, and confusing part of life. Adolescents exist between two worlds: no longer a dependent child, but not a fully independent adult. 

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At the Panzica Therapy Group, we find the way young people think, and the way they feel, endlessly surprising and exciting. In particular, we know how hard it is to navigate the world as a young LGBTQIA+ person. 

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Young people deal with the daily experience of life (friendships, identity, sexuality, gender) at a level of intensity that would be intolerable to most adults. And paradoxically, a frequent approach to meeting the enormous challenges of young people is to tell them "it gets better" or "you don't know how good you have it" or any other number of pat comments that manage to be dismissive and tone deaf. 

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We do not believe the purpose of adolescent therapy is to fix grades, or make sure they are cleaning their room. A young person's experience with a therapist may be the only space where they encounter an adult who greets them with curiosity and care, not just expectation. This role is different than that of a parent, teacher, coach, spiritual leader, or any other relationship with an adult that has an inherent power imbalance. 

Adolescents are not imperfect adults. They do not need us to dumb down our thinking or speak to them from a point of authority. They need and deserve to be listened to. They deserve our care and our curiosity. Young people are literally the future of our world, and it is through their insight, challenges, and fluid thinking that we continue to make progress in building a better society.

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