Teen Therapy Center

Teen Therapy Center Our mission at Teen Therapy Center is to help you and your family live happier lives. We offer indiv Clinical Director:
Kent Toussaint, M.A.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor

Our mission at Teen Therapy Center is to help your teen and your family live happier lives. We help sort through all sorts of crises from painful, everyday struggles to traumatic, life-changing events – all of which can paralyze families from moving forward and can be the cause of a great divide amongst family members. We understand how past decisions, personality differences, or unhealthy (emotional or physical) habits can be challenging to overcome without the guidance of a counselor. We don't want to just help you...our mission is to help you help yourself so that you can continue to live your life at its best.

09/18/2026

Two therapists on what parents most need to hear about teen anxiety and depression. 💬

In this clip from a conversation between Curt Widhalm, LMFT and Kent Toussaint, LMFT:

Curt: Don't be afraid to talk about it. The more reluctant you are to bring it up with your teen, or to share your own experience of raising a teen who's struggling, the more shame gets stuck to it. Shame makes it feel like nothing can be done, or like the subject can't even be talked about.

Kent: Kids are really trying to do the best they can. The question isn't "why are they doing this?" It's "what's getting in their way?"

When we can identify the emotional need they're trying to meet, the behavior starts to shift. That work can happen in a conversation with you, or with a therapist, or in group therapy, in a lot of different ways.
And it's completely normal for parents to feel scared and frustrated in the middle of all of this. That doesn't mean you're doing it wrong. 🎥

Watch the full interview here: https://teentherapycenter.com/teen-anxiety-depression-parents-los-angeles/
We see anxiety in teens (and their parents) every day in our practice. If your family is struggling with this, reach out to us at [email protected] or (818) 697-8555. We'll provide a free consultation, and if we don't have the resources you're looking for, we'll point you in the right direction.

09/17/2026

How do you welcome a new boy into the Guys Group at Teen Therapy Center?

You do introductions. First name, grade, school, what they do for fun. And then the last question, which the new guy doesn't answer yet because he doesn't know the answer yet: why do you like coming to the group?

Every returning member answers that question out loud. And here's why that matters.

Hearing yourself say what you appreciate about something deepens your understanding of why it matters to you. Hearing someone else say it does the same thing. Gratitude and appreciation aren't just feelings. They're actions. They're practiced. And when a new boy walks into that room and hears the guys around him say what they value about being there, he gets the message immediately: this is a place people respect and take care of. And so should I.

Eventually, he'll be the one answering that question for the next new guy. That's how it works. That's how
a group culture builds itself.

Kent Toussaint, LMFT, runs the Guys Group every Wednesday from 7 to 8:30pm at Teen Therapy Center in Woodland Hills. Call us at (818) 697-8555.

09/14/2026

"It's gonna be okay. Don't worry about it. It's all under control."

If you've said this to your anxious teenager, you're in very good company. Every parent has, with the very best of intentions. But Kent Toussaint, LMFT explains why it tends to backfire.

Your teen still feels the exact same anxiety. That anxiety doesn't just go away because you named it. Now, on top of the anxiety, they also feel stupid or crazy for feeling anxious in the first place. Which amplifies it. And often, they conclude: "I can't go back to my parent about this. They won't understand."

Kent sees this trap constantly: parents trying to talk about anxiety from a logical perspective when their teenager is in an emotional place.

Emotional problems require emotional solutions. Logical problems require logical solutions.
When your teen is actively anxious, they need emotional support, not logical support. Have patience. Give them the comfort they need. Once they've settled, then you can launch into the logical piece. 🎥

We see anxiety in teens (and their parents) every day in our practice. If your family is struggling with this, reach out to us at [email protected] or (818) 697-8555. We'll provide a free consultation, and if we don't have the resources you're looking for, we'll point you in the right direction.

09/10/2026

Divorce is complicated for any family, but it can be especially hard on teenagers, often in ways parents and even the teens themselves don't notice. In this video, David Muns, AMFT, shares why he created Stronger Than the Split, a divorce support group for teens at Teen Therapy Center in Woodland Hills.

David talks about the identity questions and loyalty conflicts teens face during divorce, why group therapy can be uniquely powerful, and how his own experience shaped this group.

Stronger Than the Split meets Thursdays at 5 PM at Teen Therapy Center in Woodland Hills.

Learn more and get in touch here: https://teentherapycenter.com/teen-divorce-support-group-woodland-hills/

09/09/2026

Sometimes you do everything right, and your kid still shuts down. They roll their eyes, leave the room, tell you they already know everything. 🙄

Don't force it, but don't give up either.

If your teen generally won't engage with you on this stuff, think about who else in their life might be able to carry some of the weight. An older sibling, an aunt or uncle, a coach or mentor. Sometimes the message lands differently when it comes from someone who isn't mom or dad. That's okay. Use it.

A therapist can be incredibly valuable here too, particularly for teens who have questions about their developing s*xuality that they're not ready to bring to a parent. A good adolescent therapist gives your kid a confidential, nonjudgmental place to work through things without fear of disappointing anyone.

And if you find out your teenager is already s*xually active: stay calm. How you respond in that moment determines whether they ever come to you with something important again. Lead with love, not alarm. Make sure they have accurate information and access to protection. Keep the door open.
Here's what you're really building through all of this: a teenager who knows they can come to you is safer than one who can't.

You don't have to have all the answers. You just have to be willing to show up for the conversation imperfectly, repeatedly, and without judgment.

That's enough. That's actually everything. 🎥

09/05/2026

If your teenage son is struggling to connect with peers his own age, the Guys Group at Teen Therapy Center might be exactly what he needs.

Here's a recent example of what happens in the room. The Epstein files came up as a topic. What started as a headline turned into a wide-ranging conversation about social identity, political beliefs, and where one person's worldview ends and another's begins. The guys didn't all agree. That was the point. They learned how to hold their own beliefs while genuinely respecting someone else's. They bonded through the disagreement rather than in spite of it.

That's what group therapy for teenage boys can do when it's done right. It's not just support. It's real life, practiced in a safe room with a licensed therapist in the corner.

It's okay if your son is nervous about it. Every boy who has walked through that door has been nervous.

And almost every one of them has walked out saying: that was actually really cool.
Kent Toussaint, LMFT, runs the Guys Group every Wednesday from 7 to 8:30pm at Teen Therapy Center in Woodland Hills. Give us a call at (818) 697-8555.

09/03/2026

Step two of running group therapy for teenage boys: humor.

And we mean it. Real humor. Sixteen-year-old, probably-inappropriate, definitely-going-to-make-you-cringe humor.

Here's why it matters. This is how teenage boys connect. It's how they signal trust, how they lower their guard, and how they start to open up about the things that are actually hard. Even when the topics in group get heavy, and they do, humor gives boys a sense of power and agency over difficult material. It says: we can talk about this and still be okay.

Group therapy for teenage boys shouldn't feel like a classroom or a lecture. It should feel like a place where real connection happens. And for boys, real connection almost always starts with laughter.

Kent Toussaint, LMFT, runs the Teen Therapy Center Guys Group every Wednesday from 7 to 8:30pm in Woodland Hills, for high school boys who are working on self-esteem and social connection. If you have a son who could benefit, give us a call.

08/27/2026

Managing anxiety is like learning guitar 🎸

You can't just walk on stage and play. It's the 2 years of daily practice that got you there. Kent Toussaint, LMFT explains why anxiety doesn't go away on its own, and why what actually builds resilience is the boring daily stuff: sleep, exercise, eating well, creative and social outlets. Little by little, over time.

Struggling at home?

Free consultation: [email protected] or (818) 697-8555 💙

08/22/2026

What's the first rule of group therapy for teenage boys?

Nothing is off limits. Not a single word. Not a single topic.

Here's why: if boys know they can say the offensive thing, they start to believe they can also say the vulnerable thing. Take away the offensive, and they assume the vulnerable isn't welcome either.

And when something said in group lands the wrong way? That's not a problem. That's actually the work.

That's where real emotional intelligence gets built, in the discomfort, in the repair, in the moment where two people figure out how to understand each other a little better than they did before.

We don't lean away from discomfort in group therapy. We jump straight into it. Because that's where the growth actually happens.

Kent Toussaint, LMFT, runs the Teen Therapy Center Guys Group every Wednesday from 7 to 8:30pm in Woodland Hills. If you have a teenage son who you think could benefit from a group like this, give us a call or send us a message.

08/20/2026

Worried that talking to your teenager about s*x sends the message "go ahead, you have my blessing"? Kent Toussaint, LMFT wants to put that fear to rest. 💬

Giving your teenager information is not the same as giving them permission.

Think about it this way: we teach teenagers how to drive safely before we hand them the keys. Nobody thinks driver's ed encourages reckless driving. We're preparing them for something they're going to face whether we're ready or not.

Permission giving says, "Here's the green light."
Responsible decision making says, "Here's what you need to know so that when you're facing a choice, and someday you will be, you can make it with a clear head instead of in the dark."

One hands over approval. The other hands over critical thinking, values, and facts.

Here's what the research consistently shows: teens who get comprehensive information from their parents don't become s*xually active earlier. If anything, they tend to wait longer and make safer choices when they do.
Frame these conversations as responsible decision making, not permission giving. Your teenager can tell the difference. 🎥

Watch the full video: https://teentherapycenter.com/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-s*x-2/

We help teens and their parents navigate exactly these kinds of conversations every day in our practice. If your family is looking for support, reach out to us at [email protected] or (818) 697-8555. We'll provide a free consultation, and if we don't have the resources you're looking for, we'll point you in the right direction.

Address

5550 Topanga Canyon Boulevard, #150
Woodland Hills, CA
91367

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 10pm
Tuesday 8am - 10pm
Wednesday 8am - 10pm
Thursday 8am - 10pm
Friday 8am - 10pm
Saturday 8am - 10pm
Sunday 8am - 10pm

Telephone

+18186978555

Website

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