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ALEXIS MARINO
From social media and screen time to friendships, boundaries, and the ups and downs of growing up, today’ s families are navigating a rapidly changing world.
Stephanie Hebert launched Align Therapy + Wellness to provide individualized support for children, adolescents, and families. After spending more than six years as a school counselor, she expanded her work into private practice to offer more clinically focused mental health services.
We recently sat down with Hebert, founder of Align Therapy + Wellness, to discuss the importance of children ' s mental health, how parents can identify signs of emotional distress and the resources available to help families navigate life ' s challenges.
Q: Tell us a little about your background and what inspired you to open Align Therapy + Wellness.
A: My path to becoming a therapist for children and families was shaped by a lifelong commitment to offer support and guidance to others. The challenges I encountered from adolescence into adulthood were often difficult, but
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they helped me develop resilience and shaped the therapist I am today.
The vision for Align Therapy + Wellness began years ago— a place where children, adolescents, and families could find compassionate, individualized support within a private practice setting. After more than six years as a school counselor, I recognized a desire to extend my work beyond the educational environment and into a more clinically focused role.
Establishing my own practice was a natural next step, allowing me to provide more comprehensive care and support clients in their healing, growth, and fulfillment.
Q: What are some of the biggest mental health challenges facing preteens, teens, and young adults today?
A: In my experience, anxiety is the most common challenge. Nationally,
clinically diagnosed anxiety in teenagers has risen by roughly 61 % since 2016, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. A variety of factors contribute to this increase, including societal pressures, cultural shifts, social media, technology, and parenting approaches.
Depression is another significant concern. Teens experiencing depression often report feelings of hopelessness about the future, low self-esteem, a pessimistic worldview, and persistent low mood. They may also face a higher risk of unhealthy behaviors, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts.
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Q: How have you seen the needs of children and families change over the past few years?
A: I’ ve seen children and families seek therapy at
increasingly younger ages, most often to build emotional regulation skills, manage anxiety, or address behavioral concerns.
While these concerns are well within a therapist’ s scope, family therapists also have a responsibility to help parents understand age-appropriate behavior and the key developmental stages that may be influencing those experiences.
I find many parentsto-be dive deep into learning about pregnancy, labor, and delivery, but I don’ t often see parents devote that same energy to learning about raising children.
For those looking to start or deepen their knowledge, I often recommend the Child Mind Institute as a great place to start!
Q: What are some common signs that a child or teen may be struggling emotionally?
A: Look for any significant shift in their typical behavior, for instance, angry outbursts, crying spells, isolating from family and friends, loss of interest in once-enjoyed hobbies or activities, or changes in sleeping or eating habits. It’ s important to stay aware of“ their world "— who their friends are, how they interact with peers, and their extracurriculars.
They say, " It takes a village to raise a child,” and it’ s important to stay connected with said village
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to have extra insights into what we may be missing.
Q: How can parents distinguish between typical stress and anxiety that may require professional support?
A: ASK THEM!
Open up the lines of communication and check in frequently. It’ s common for a teen not to want to confide in parents, especially when they’ re struggling, but asking
specific, open-ended questions can get the ball rolling.
An example could be, " Hey, I noticed you haven’ t been hanging with so-and-so lately. What’ s going on with that relationship?”
Q: How does social media affect mental health and self-esteem?
A: The initial purpose of social media was to connect people. But today, it is more of a commercialized pool
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