When Therapy Isn't Working, Try This Instead
Being in therapy for months as a teen or college student, and feeling like you’re not getting anywhere can have you feeling like you want to give up. But it doesn’t have to be that way. During a recent discussion on the Healthy Teen Life podcast, Leslie was joined by Dr. Stacey Krauss to talk about what to do when weekly therapy isn't enough, why so many teens and college students quietly decide "therapy isn't for me" after one bad fit, and what other options actually exist.
What you'll learn in this episode
Why one bad therapy experience makes so many teens and college students give up on theraphy entirely
How to speak up when sessions aren't working — and why that conversation matters more than switching
Why group therapy isn't what most people picture (and why the fear of "being judged" usually doesn't hold up)
How session frequency changes results — and why more frequent care can actually mean less total time in therapy
Who group therapy works best for, and when individual therapy is still the better fit
Where to actually look for options, including college mental health services
Dr. Krauss's advice on using a future vision to know whether your care is working
Chapters:
[00:00] When therapy feels like it's going nowhere
[01:33] Meet Dr. Stacey Krauss
[02:40] What to do when therapy isn't enough
[04:23] Why one bad fit makes people quit therapy
[05:41] Speaking up when sessions aren't working
[07:40] How group therapy shifts the dynamic
[09:29] Mental fatigue and bouncing between therapists
[11:42] What group therapy is actually like
[13:29] Why session frequency matters
[15:22] Fitting it into a packed schedule
[20:51] Who group therapy works best for
[23:16] When individual therapy is the better fit
[24:55] How to find group therapy options
[28:07] College mental health services as a starting point
[29:48] Dr. Krauss's final advice: start with your future vision
Listen now if you're struggling to make therapy work for you to see if group therapy or a change in frequency might be a fit.
About the guest:
Dr. Stacey Krauss is CEO of Transitions Counseling and Consulting, an intensive mental health clinic helping adolescents and families navigate severe clinical crises without hospital stays. She's a double board-certified clinical psychologist, Bronze Star recipient, and former Chief of Behavioral Health at Fort Bragg, where she led the Army's largest behavioral health program, overseeing mental health services for thousands of soldiers and their families. She now applies that crisis expertise to adolescent care, helping teens and parents understand when IOP or PHP may be the right level of support between weekly therapy and hospitalization.
Resources mentioned:
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