--- title: "Teen Therapy in Alpharetta, GA | The Solace Space" description: "Therapy for anxious teens (13–17) in Alpharetta and virtual across Georgia. Real skills for anxiety and OCD — no lectures, no worksheets, no fake-cheerful adult." lang: en json-ld: --- [The Solace Space Therapy · Alpharetta, GA ](/) Services Service Areas [About](/about-me)[Rates](/rates)[FAQ](/faq)[Blog](/blog-2)[Contact](/contact) [Book a free consult](https://calendly.com/thesolacespacetherapy/free-15-minute-consultation) Teen Therapy (13–17) # You're 'fine.' Everyone believes you. (you're not. and you know it.) If you're the one everyone thinks has it together — good grades, right friends, no drama — you might also be holding it together the hardest. Your grades are fine. Your friends are fine. And you haven't slept a full night in months. I work with teens 13–17 on anxiety and OCD. No worksheets, no mood trackers, no fake-cheerful adult — just real tools, and I'll talk to you like a person. What it looks like ## The _high-functioning_ teen version. - Perfectionism that looks like drive on the outside and dread on your inside. - Panic before tests, presentations, or social things you used to be fine with. - Intrusive thoughts and rituals you haven't told anyone about. - Sleep that's gone sideways — falling asleep at 2am, waking at 5. - Physical stuff with no medical cause: stomachaches, headaches, chest tightness. - 'I'm fine' as the only answer, delivered with the door already closing. How this actually goes ## I'll talk to you like a _person_. (the fastest way to lose a teen is to sound like an adult trying to sound cool.) The first session is mostly you figuring out if I'm going to be weird about things. I try not to be. From there we work on whatever you name as the actual problem — not what your parents named. We use CBT for anxiety and ERP for OCD. It's practical, it's a little uncomfortable in the good way, and it moves at your pace. Your parents get the big picture, but what you say in the room stays in the room unless there's a safety concern. For younger kids and more parent-driven work, see the SPACE page — that's a different, parent-led approach. What you'll actually do ## Skills that work in a _high-school hallway_. 1. 01 ### Name what's happening We get language for the anxiety instead of 'ugh' or 'I don't know.' That alone changes a lot. 2. 02 ### Regulate in 90 seconds Nervous-system tools you can actually use in a bathroom stall before a test. No breathing exercises that require a yoga mat. 3. 03 ### Do the thing, smaller Graded exposure to whatever you've been avoiding — the presentation, the party, the phone call, the intrusive thought. 4. 04 ### Talk to parents (a little) We work on what to actually say when a parent asks 'how was therapy' — so you don't have to lie or shut down. Straight talk ## When I'm _not_ the right fit. - Suicidal ideation, self-harm, or an eating disorder — these need higher-level care than weekly outpatient. I'll help you find the right team. - A teen who is completely refusing to come. I'll do one consult with a hesitant teen; I won't work with a captive one. - Court-ordered evaluations or custody assessments. That's not the work I do. If any of that is you, I'll say so on the consult and point you toward someone who's a better fit. Common questions ## Before you book. How much do parents get told? The big picture — what we're working on, how it's going. The specifics of what your teen shares stay confidential unless there's a safety concern. This is what makes them actually talk. My teen doesn't want to come. What do I do? Tell them it's one 15-minute consult with me, no commitment. If they don't like me, they don't have to come back. Do you meet with parents separately? Yes — usually one parent-only session at the start, plus occasional check-ins. Parent coaching between sessions if it's useful. ## Ready when _you_ are. A free 15-minute call. You tell me what's going on. I tell you honestly whether I'm the right fit. [Book the consult](https://calendly.com/thesolacespacetherapy/free-15-minute-consultation)[See all services](/Services) In a crisis or emergency, call or text [988](tel:988) to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call [911](tel:911). The Solace Space Therapy · Alpharetta, GA Helping anxious minds find solace. Anxiety & OCD therapy in Alpharetta, GA + online across Georgia. ### Contact - [colleendonahueritz@gmail.com ](mailto:colleendonahueritz@gmail.com) - [(603) 209-2168 ](tel:+16032092168) - 290 S Main St, Suite 200 Alpharetta, GA 30009 ### Explore - [All Services](/Services) - [Anxiety Therapy](/anxiety-therapy) - [ERP for OCD](/erp-ocd-therapy) - [Social Anxiety](/social-anxiety) - [EFT for Couples](/eft-couples-therapy) - [Teen Therapy](/teentherapy) - [SPACE Therapy](/space-therapy) - [About](/about-me) - [Contact](/contact) - [FAQ](/#faq) - [Book a free consult →](https://calendly.com/thesolacespacetherapy/free-15-minute-consultation) ### Find me - [Psychology Today ](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/colleen-ritz-alpharetta-ga/1134095) - [LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleendonahue/) - [Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/61585284334210/) In a crisis or emergency , call or text [988](tel:988) for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call [911](tel:911). The Solace Space Therapy is not a crisis service. © 2026 The Solace Space Therapy · CDR Counseling, LLC. Nothing on this site constitutes therapy until a signed agreement is in place. Colleen Ritz, LPC is licensed in Georgia only. Website by [Automaus.ai](https://automaus.ai)