What if my teenager refuses to go to therapy?
Written by the clinical team at The Lyceum Clinic. Clinically reviewed by Sanah Younis, Founder and Clinical Director, BABCP-accredited (no. 1000792). Published 28 October 2026. Last reviewed 28 October 2026.
Clinical perspective: The Lyceum's specialist therapist for teenagers.
Most teenagers arrive having been brought rather than having come. The first session is not spent persuading them. The annoyance is validated, the therapist does not report back, and the work starts from whatever in their own life they would like to go away.
What the therapist does not do
Act like a cheerful camp counsellor. Teenagers detect it instantly and it confirms their suspicion that this is being done to them.
Aligning against the problem
The therapist aligns with the teenager against the problem, never with the parents against the teenager. That distinction decides whether a second session happens.
For more detail, read about anxiety therapy.
What parents can do before the first appointment
Keep the accommodation low. If the fear of school is met with a sick note and the fear of going out is met with a cancelled plan, the message is that they are too fragile to cope, however loving the intention.