Therapy for Teens in
Los Angeles for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ & Neurodivergent Communities
At Nokdu Therapy, we offer trauma-informed therapy for teens in Los Angeles, centering BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and QTIBIPOC adolescents. Our teen therapists Arthur Sun, LCSW #129742, Gonji Lee, LCSW #88522, Jeffery Park, LMFT #108456, Leslie Yick, AMFT #147779 & APCC #17060, and Rozheen Barekatein, ACSW #123348 support young people through anxiety, ADHD, autism, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, and identity using somatic and evidence-based care across LA and all of California.
Ages 11+
LA & all of California
LGBTQ+
who are too often overlooked
Informed
care, not just talk
What Teens & Caregivers Often Say
Even teens who are close to their parents often need someone else to talk to about their most personal issues. Adolescents often experience anxiety, depression and relationship difficulties and just need support. Sometimes adults may misinterpret their emotional pain as having attitude, withdrawing, being too sensitive, or ungrateful. Does any of this sound familiar?
"It's hard to feel like I fit in. Sometime I don't know the right thing to say, or I just don't get the joke."
"I love my parents, but there are just some things I can't talk about with them."
"I want a therapist who understands queer identity so I don't have to explain myself."
"Sometimes the stress just gets so overwhelming. There's always too much to do."
"It's hard to get out of bed sometimes. I procrastinate even though I say I won't this time. I feel like people think I'm lazy or don't care but I"m trying so hard."
"I get irritated with my parents sometimes. I feel bad afterward but I can't seem to help it."
What Teen Therapy at Nokdu Actually Looks Like
Nokdu Therapy is a place where young people and their caregivers can find support to get through difficult situations. Teens may respond to mental health distress differently from adults. Depression might look like increased irritability, and anxiety might look like more stomach aches or difficulty focusing in school. Our teen therapists are trained to understand the ways that emotional pain specifically manifest in adolescents.
Adolescence is a high-stakes time. Identity, belonging, family dynamics, school pressure, and the nervous system are all shifting and changing at once. For BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and neurodivergent teens, that can be layered with having to deal with racism, homophobia, transphobia, and neurotypical expectations.
We do not treat teens as problems to be corrected. We support them so they can understand what they're feeling, release shame, and build concrete skills for managing emotions and relationships. When trauma is part of the picture, we use trauma-informed therapy approaches like Brainspotting, EMDR, and IFS to help process the emotions held in both the body and the mind.
Nokdu operates from a neurodiversity-affirming lens for neurodivergent teens, including ADHDer or those who are autistic. Your neurotype affects how you learn, how you connect to others, and how you process information. Our team is trained to help you develop concrete strategies to manage time, increase motivation, and build friendships in a manner that actually works for you. For queer and trans teens, every therapist at Nokdu has LGBTQ+ affirming competency. We can support you in processing identity, dating, coming out, and finding like-minded community.
Increased frustration with yourself or others, angry outbursts, and more interpersonal conflict at home or with peers.
Less motivation in school, difficulty concentrating, or a noticeable drop in engagement.
Self criticism, spiraling after making mistakes, difficulty sleeping, and constant stress and worrying.
Difficulty connecting, ruminating about social interactions, or pulling away from others.
More frequent crying, sadness, difficulty feeling motivated, a sense of feeling like an outsider or being misunderstood.
From What Caregivers Have Been Told to What Is True
Caregivers absorb a lot of messages about what adolescent distress "should" look like. Therapy helps separate what's actually happening from what gets dismissed.
What We Commonly Support Teens With
There's nothing to lose by checking in on what might be going on in a young person's life. Our teen therapists in Los Angeles can support caregivers and young people in navigating concerns such as these.
Anxiety & Stress
School pressure, social anxiety, panic, and the chronic stress of navigating a lot of expectations.
ADHD
Neurodiversity-affirming ADHD support for teens: focus, motivation, time and task management, and the shame that often builds up around an ADHD brain at school and home.
Autism
Affirming support for Autistic teens: sensory overwhelm, masking and burnout, social exhaustion, and understanding how their mind works without being asked to mask it away.
Relationship Difficulties
Conflict with caregivers, friends, or partners; communication breakdowns; boundaries; and navigating changes like moving or parental separation. We help teens build relationships grounded in clarity and respect.
Depression & Low Mood
Persistent sadness, irritability, hopelessness, tearfulness, and loss of interest in things that used to matter.
Trauma
Support for teens carrying trauma, including racial and intergenerational trauma, using trauma-informed and somatic approaches.
Identity & Belonging
Identity exploration, feeling like an outsider or being misunderstood, and holding BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and neurodivergent identities together.
Teen Therapy That Holds the Whole Picture
Nokdu Therapy works with teens (ages 11+) across Los Angeles, with a particular focus on BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and neurodivergent adolescents navigating multiple intersecting identities. You do not need to have everything figured out to begin.
Nokdu centers BIPOC and QTIBIPOC communities in all of our work. Our team understands the importance of staying connected to heritage, the stress of code switching, and the specific ways cultural contexts shape family dynamics. Caregivers and teens won't have to justify or defend your experiences with our therapists.
We work with LGBTQ+ and questioning teens searching for a therapist fluent in queer and trans experience. We work with neurodivergent teens and tailor the therapy process to your neurotype. And we work with caregivers who want to support their teen but aren't sure how.
Looking for a Teen Therapist in Los Angeles?
Our teen therapists pair rigorous, evidence-based training with lived experience of what it means to grow up with different marginalized identities. We aim to build a space where teens and caregivers won't have to defend who they are.
Holding the intersection of race, culture, and identity.
Affirming support for queer, trans, nonbinary, and questioning adolescents.
Neurodiversity-affirming care for ADHDer and autistic teens.
Somatic, trauma-informed support that works with the nervous system.
Collateral and family sessions to support the whole system around the teen.
How Teen Therapy in Los Angeles Works
Teen therapy at Nokdu begins with a free consultation and is tailored to each young person's history, identities, and goals. Telehealth is available throughout Los Angeles and all of California.
Free 20–30 Minute Consultation
We start with a casual conversation to hear what's bringing you in, share how we work, and check whether we're a genuine fit. Caregivers are welcome on this call. You can choose a phone or video call!
Choosing the Right Mix of Sessions
For young people ages 11 and up, we collaborate with the teen to determine the most appropriate combination of individual, collateral (caregiver), and family sessions. The teen's voice is central to that decision.
Building Trust & Understanding the Full Story
Your therapist takes time to understand the bigger story, including how identity, culture, school, and family have shaped experience. Identity is never treated as a side note.
Evidence-Based & Creative Approaches
Alongside evidence-based modalities such as DBT, ACT, Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, and Brainspotting, we use relational strategies, creative exploration, play, and environmental approaches to help teens reach their goals.
Skills That Last Beyond the Session
As therapy deepens, teens build concrete tools for managing emotions, relationships, and stress, and a stronger sense of who they are.
Teen Therapy Across Greater Los Angeles
We see teens via secure telehealth across Los Angeles and anywhere in California. Whether you're in Koreatown, Silver Lake, Culver City, or anywhere else in LA, affirming teen therapy is available to you.
Therapists Who Work With Teens in Los Angeles
The following Nokdu therapists work with teens. Each brings rigorous training alongside lived awareness of what it means to grow up holding more than one identity, with particular care for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, QTIBIPOC, and neurodivergent adolescents.
Arthur Sun
Identifies as a queer, trans, Taiwanese-American, and neurodivergent person. They are trained in DBT and EMDR, and utilize an IFS-informed approach.
Gonji Lee
Identifies as a queer, nonbinary, neurodivergent person from the Korean diaspora. They are trained in IFS, Brainspotting, DBT, and CBT.
Jeffery Park
Identifies as a first generation queer Korean. He also specializes in working with artists and incorporates creativity into sessions. Jeff is trained in EMDR.
Leslie Yick
Identifies as Chinese, Vietnamese descendant of migrants and refugees. They are queer, and gender nonconforming. They are trained in Brainspotting.
Rozheen Barekatein
Identifies as an Iranian-American therapist and daughter of immigrants. She specializes in working with children of immigrants, MENA & SWANA diasporas, QTIBIPOC communities and multicultural communities.
Common Questions About Teen Therapy in LA
At what age do you work with teens?
We work with teens ages 11 and up. We collaborate with the teen to determine the most appropriate combination of individual, collateral (caregiver), and family sessions. Please reach out and we can talk through what fits your family.
Does my teen need my consent to start therapy?
In many cases caregivers are involved in starting therapy. However, if you are 12 years old or older and seeking therapy, you may be able to access services without guardian consent depending on your circumstances. Please call, text, or email us to consult further.
How do I know if my teen needs therapy?
Teens often show distress differently than adults. Signs to look out for include increased irritability or interpersonal conflict, less motivation in school, difficulty sleeping, changed appetite, social withdrawal, tearfulness, and increased frustration with themselves or others. There's nothing to lose by checking in to see what might be contributing to their distress.
Will you involve me as the parent or caregiver?
Where appropriate and with the teen's input, we use a combination of individual sessions, collateral sessions with caregivers, and family sessions. We aim to involve caregivers in ways that feel supportive rather than invasive, while protecting the trust that makes therapy work for the teen.
Do you work with BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and QTIBIPOC teens?
Yes. This is central to our work. We center BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and QTIBIPOC adolescents, and our teen therapists bring lived awareness of what it means to grow up holding multiple intersecting identities, so your teen doesn't have to explain or defend who they are.
What therapy approaches do you use with teens?
We draw on evidence-based approaches including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, and Brainspotting, alongside relational strategies, creative exploration, play, and environmental approaches. For trauma, we use somatic and trauma-focused modalities that work with the nervous system. The approach is tailored to each teen.
Can you support neurodivergent teens?
Yes. We work with ADHDers and autistic teens from a neurodiversity-affirming lens. We don't treat neurodivergence as an illness to cure. We support teens in understanding how their brains work, reduce shame, and build strategies that fit their neurotype.
Do you offer teen therapy online across California?
Yes. We offer secure telehealth teen therapy to clients located anywhere in California, and in-person availability varies by therapist. You can ask about both during your free consultation.
Do you accept insurance for teen therapy?
We are not in network with any insurance companies. If your PPO plan covers out-of-network mental health services, you'll receive a superbill each month to submit for reimbursement. We also have limited sliding scale spots available. Please bring it up during your free consultation.
How do I find a teen therapist in Los Angeles?
The most direct way is to book a free consultation with a teen therapist here at Nokdu. You can do that from any page on this site. On a consult call, we encourage you to ask directly about a therapist's experience with teens and with any relevant identities, not just whether they "see teens."
Ready to Find a Teen Therapist in Los Angeles?
Schedule a free 20–30 minute consultation. We'll talk about what's bringing you in, how we work, and whether we're a good fit. Telehealth available statewide throughout California.