Blackburn Clinical Services offers one-on-one therapy in West Los Angeles for teens 13 to 17 who attend private and independent high schools, and family sessions for their parents. We help with anxiety, perfectionism and burnout, college admissions stress, missed school, depression, vaping and substance use, and the return to school after residential treatment. Families from college prep, Catholic, faith-based, boarding and other independent schools across Southern California are welcome at our office in Mar Vista. Parents usually make the first call.
Talk with us about your teen. Call (888) 870 7405
Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. Therapy takes place in our office at 12326 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066, or by secure video for clients located in California.
Not sure? Take the 2 minute parent checklist to see whether what you are noticing is worth a call.
At a glance
- Who we see: high school students ages 13 to 17 and their parents, including students home from boarding school.
- What we help with: anxiety, perfectionism, depression, school avoidance, substance use, ADHD and learning concerns, family conflict and the stress of a demanding school.
- Where: therapy takes place in our office at 12326 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066, convenient to the Westside, Culver City, Santa Monica and the 405 and 10 corridors.
- When: Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, with scheduling that works around the school day within those hours.
- Family sessions: parents can join sessions with their teen, book parent-only sessions about their teen, and book their own therapy.
- Psychiatry: psychiatric care can be arranged when a teen needs an evaluation or medication.
Why private school students face their own kind of pressure
Every high school asks a lot of teenagers. Private and independent schools add a particular mix that many families describe:
- Academic intensity. Honors and AP heavy schedules, demanding homework loads and classmates who are all strong students can make an excellent student feel average. Perfectionism often looks like success from the outside until sleep, mood or health give way.
- College admissions culture. At many college prep schools, the college process starts early and is talked about constantly. Juniors and seniors can feel that every grade, test and activity is a verdict on their future.
- Small communities where privacy matters. When a grade has a few dozen students and parents know each other, a teen may worry that asking for help will become common knowledge. Many families prefer care outside the school, with a clinician who is not part of the school community.
- Long commutes. Students often travel across Los Angeles to school, which adds up to long days, less sleep and less time with friends near home.
- High parent involvement. Engaged, caring parents are a strength. They can also make it harder for a teen to say they are struggling, especially if they feel they are letting the family down.
- Boarding and transitions. Students at boarding schools, or returning from a program away from home, often need a therapist in Los Angeles for breaks, leaves and the move back.
These pressures are on top of a national picture that worries pediatric experts. In the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 39.7 percent of U.S. high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in the past year, and 20.4 percent had seriously considered attempting suicide. A private school does not protect a teen from any of this.
Guides for parents of private school students
Start with the group that sounds most like your teen right now.
School pressure and the college process
- Therapy for high-achieving teens: anxiety, perfectionism and burnout
- College admissions stress: therapy for high school juniors and seniors
- School refusal and anxiety-related absences in high school
- Therapy or tutoring? What a struggling student may need
- High school student athletes: pressure, injury and burnout
Seasonal guides for this school year
- Finals stress in high school: when it is more than stress
- Winter break for a struggling teen: a plan for parents
- Boarding school teen home for break: when parents worry
- Early decision deferral or rejection: helping your teen
- Senior slump or depression? How parents can tell
Anxiety, mood and other concerns
- Teen anxiety treatment in Los Angeles
- Teen panic attacks: what they look like and what helps
- Social media, phones and teen anxiety
- Teen depression: signs parents of high schoolers miss
- Teen OCD treatment in Los Angeles
- Teen trauma therapy, including EMDR
- When it is more than ADHD: teens with anxiety or depression
- Teen vaping, cannabis and alcohol: outpatient options for high school students
Family, identity and life changes
- Teens and family transitions: divorce, blended families and a parent who travels
- Grief and loss in teens: helping a high schooler after a death
- Therapy for LGBTQ+ teens and their parents
- Therapy for teens at Catholic and faith-based high schools
- Coming home from a therapeutic boarding school, wilderness program or residential treatment
Starting therapy
- How to find a therapist for your teen in Los Angeles
- My teen won’t go to therapy: helping a reluctant high schooler
- What to expect at a first teen therapy appointment
- Teen therapy and privacy in California: what parents are told
- Support for parents of a struggling teen: family sessions and guidance
Testing and school support
- ADHD and learning evaluations for private school teens
- Executive function struggles in high school teens
- IEP, 504 and learning plans: private vs public school
- SAT, ACT and AP testing accommodations: a parent guide
Tools for parents
- Does my teen need therapy? A checklist for parents
- Teen mental health in Southern California: the numbers
Teen therapy by area
- Teen therapy for Westside families
- Teen therapy for South Bay families
- Teen therapy for San Fernando Valley families
- Teen therapy for Mid-Wilshire, Hancock Park and Los Feliz families
For school counselors, consultants and tutors
What therapy at Blackburn looks like for a private school student
- A first call with a parent. You tell us what you are seeing at home and at school. We explain how we work with teens and what the first appointments look like.
- An assessment. We meet with your teen, and usually with you, to understand what is going on: mood, anxiety, sleep, school, friends, substances and family life.
- One-on-one therapy. Your teen meets with a therapist in our office or by secure video for clients located in California, using approaches such as CBT, DBT and ACT chosen for your teen. See therapy.
- Family sessions. Parents join when it helps, to work on communication, expectations, routines and how to support without taking over. See family services.
- More support when it is needed. The Blackburn Concierge Outpatient Program offers typically 3 to 5 hours a week of focused one-on-one therapy for adolescents, with no groups.
- Testing. When attention or learning is part of the picture, see ADHD and neuropsychological testing.
Working with your teen’s school
Many families want the school to know as little as possible; others want the counselor or dean in the loop. Either way, we share information with a school only with your written permission. When clinically appropriate, we can provide documentation for your teen’s school, for example around a reduced schedule, an absence or a return. School counselors and learning specialists can see information for school and college counselors.
How families get started
- Step 1: call (888) 870 7405, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. A parent or guardian usually calls first.
- Step 2: tell us briefly what is happening and what you have already tried. You do not need a diagnosis or a referral.
- Step 3: we set up a first appointment in our office and explain what to bring and what to expect.
- Step 4: after the assessment, we recommend a plan, which might be weekly therapy, family sessions, more intensive one-on-one care or testing.
Not sure how to raise therapy with your teen? Our guide on how to talk about starting therapy is written for older teens and young adults, and much of it applies to high schoolers. For broader information on our adolescent care, see adolescent services.
When to get urgent help
If your teen is in danger right now, call 911. If your teen talks about wanting to die, is harming themselves or you are worried they might, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any time of day. You can call 988 as a parent, for advice about what to do next. For step by step guidance, read if your teen talks about self-harm or suicide: what to do tonight.
Questions
Do you only see students from certain schools?
No. We see teens from any private, independent, Catholic, faith-based or boarding high school, and from public schools too. We are not affiliated with any school, and families come to us directly.
Will my teen’s school find out they are in therapy?
Not from us unless you give written permission. Some families choose to involve a counselor or dean, and some do not. We talk through the pros and cons with you.
Can sessions fit around the school day?
Sessions are scheduled Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. We work with families to find times within those hours that disrupt school as little as possible, such as a free period or the end of the school day.
Do parents take part in therapy?
Usually, yes. Family sessions are available, parents can book parent-only sessions about their teen, and parents can book their own therapy. Your teen also has one-on-one time with their therapist.
What if my teen needs more than one session a week?
The Blackburn Concierge Outpatient Program offers typically 3 to 5 hours a week of focused one-on-one therapy for adolescents, with no groups. It flexes with clinical need and begins with a biopsychosocial assessment.
Can you help a student who is home from boarding school?
Yes. Students home for a break, a leave or a transfer can be seen in our office in West Los Angeles.
Get started
Questions about your teen? We are glad to talk. Call (888) 870 7405
Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
You can also email info@blackburnclinical.com or contact us. Parents usually make the first call; your teen does not need to be on the line.