Teen & Young Adult Counseling
Young people need more than advice from a distance. They need a place where they can speak honestly, ask difficult questions, and be taken seriously. Counseling can create room to understand what is happening emotionally and relationally while helping a teen or young adult grow in self-understanding and wisdom.
Our work is rooted in Scripture and centered on Jesus. That does not mean pretending life is simple or putting a spiritual phrase over something that needs to be understood. It means bringing the whole of your life into a relationship where truth, grace, responsibility, grief, hope, and transformation can all have a place.
- Anxiety and overwhelm
- Identity and self-understanding
- Friendships and dating
- Autism and neurodivergence
- Family stress
- School and future direction
- Faith, purpose, and belonging
What counseling can look like
Counseling is a conversation, but it is not aimless conversation. We pay attention to the patterns that keep repeating, the assumptions beneath your reactions, the experiences that shaped you, and the places where you may have learned to survive without feeling safe.
Some sessions are practical. Some are deeply emotional. Some help you put words to something you have felt for years. The pace is shaped by the person in front of us, not a formula.
You do not have to arrive with a polished explanation.
It is enough to know that something is not working, something hurts, or you are tired of carrying the same thing by yourself. We can begin there.
Getting started
Tell us a little about what you are looking for. We will help you understand the next step and whether in-person or online counseling makes the most sense.
Support through adolescence and growing independence
School expectations, friendships, family relationships, and questions about the future can overlap in a teenager’s life. A teen may need room to describe their own experience before adults can understand what support would be useful. Counseling can provide a setting for those conversations and for discussing faith, identity, conflict, and responsibility.
The first step is to understand the teen’s concerns alongside the family’s hopes for counseling. Families can ask how parent involvement, communication, and privacy will be handled before sessions begin. Age suitability and appointment format should be confirmed with the counselor.
Madison’s work includes autistic teens and young adults. Teresa’s online mentoring focuses on teen girls; Andrew works online with individuals and teens. The profiles below explain each person’s background. Families seeking specific neurodivergence support can visit autism and neurodivergent teen support.
Counselors whose experience informs this service
Madison Beresford
Madison has more than 14 years of experience walking with individuals, couples, teens, and families. He holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Christian Counseling and NCCA board certifications in Cognitive Therapy and Integrated Marriage & Family Therapy. His areas of focus include trauma, relationships, addiction recovery, and autism; he is autistic himself.
Desiree Soucy
Desiree brings more than 20 years of ministry experience supporting people through relational pain and difficult experiences. She holds an M.S. in Pastoral Care & Counseling and NACC board certification in Pastoral Counseling. Her areas of focus include trauma, marriage, divorce recovery, blended families, and identity in Christ.
Andrew Rowley
Andrew provides online biblical counseling for individuals and teens, with a focus on conflict, communication, forgiveness, and identity in Christ. He holds a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and is pursuing ACBC certification.
Teresa Lockwood
Teresa provides online biblical counseling and mentoring for women and teen girls. Her background includes teaching, eight years as a certified foster parent, and training in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI). She supports people navigating grief, rejection, uncertainty, and foster or adoptive family life.
An informed next step
Read the linked profiles for each counselor’s education, experience, and areas of focus. Our public reviews offer additional perspectives from people who have connected with JoyCare; individual experiences vary.
Start through our inquiry page or call 919-885-6232. A brief description of the concern and preferred format is enough to begin. See the FAQ for information about first appointments, counselor selection, and our Christian approach.