Teen Counseling in Denver
for Boys
Specialized counseling for teen boys ages 13 to 18 who are angry, withdrawn, anxious, depressed, checked out, or hard to reach.
Your son is not the kid he used to be. His grades are sliding, his friends are thinning out, his door stays closed, or every conversation turns into a fight.
You have tried talking. You have tried space. You are here because nothing has worked, and you need a clearer next step.
Denver Men's Therapy offers teen counseling with fully licensed clinicians who understand adolescent boys and the parents trying to reach them.
Start with a free 15-minute parent consult. Ask about fit, scheduling, confidentiality, and fees before you decide whether therapy is the right next step.
Counseling for teen boys ages 13 to 18
Denver Men's Therapy provides counseling for teen boys dealing with anxiety, depression, anger, school stress, family conflict, screens, mild substance use, and withdrawal. Sessions are available at two Denver offices and through telehealth across Colorado when clinically appropriate.
If your parent sent you this page
The first meeting is not a lecture. You do not have to perform therapy. You can say what you want help with, what you do not want to talk about, and what would make this feel less useless.
The four objections almost every parent has before they call.
Many teens say no first. That does not mean therapy is impossible. We regularly work with reluctant boys and parents who are unsure how to start.
Some teens become less guarded once they have a private place to talk and know the rules upfront.
Your son needs privacy for therapy to work. We explain confidentiality, parent updates, and safety limits before treatment starts.
We do not lead with labels. If a diagnosis is clinically appropriate or needed for documentation, we explain what it means and how it will be used.
The signs that get missed in teen boys
He is not crying in his room. He is yelling at his brother, losing his temper at video games, or sleeping fourteen hours on a Saturday and still tired.
Teen boys externalize. They get angry instead of sad. They go quiet instead of asking for help.
They check out into screens, weed, food, or workouts. In Colorado, where cannabis is legal and normalized, teen boys often have easier access than parents realize. They pick fights they did not used to pick.
When normal adolescence becomes something more
Some of this is just being thirteen. Sleep changes and pulling away from parents are part of how teen brains develop.
What pushes it past normal in boys: anger that does not pass in a day, weed use that has become daily, gaming that has replaced friendships, or any talk of self-harm. Boys do not usually announce a crisis. They escalate quietly until something breaks.
How girls and boys present mental health struggles differently
Most of what parents read about teen mental health is calibrated to how girls present. Girls cry, write about it, talk to friends.
Boys go silent, get aggressive, or get reckless. The signs are real. They just look different.
- Sadness, tearfulness
- Talks about feelings with friends
- Writes, journals, posts
- Anger, irritability, snapping
- Goes silent or one-word
- Tone shift online
- Stomach aches, headaches
- Appetite changes
- Fatigue, sleeping 12-14 hours
- Headaches, gut complaints
- Pain that has no medical cause
- Grades drop quietly
- Avoids class, stops raising hand
- Grades drop one letter or more
- Skipped assignments, missed practice
- Calls home from teachers
- Bedroom, friends, social media
- Screens, gaming, weed, food, workouts
- Behind a closed door for hours
- “I feel sad / lonely / anxious.”
- “I'm fine.”
- “Leave me alone.”
- Nothing at all.
- Self-harm, eating changes
- Friend-group rupture
- Reckless driving, fighting
- Daily weed or alcohol
- Quiet escalation, not announcement
Patterns are tendencies, not rules. Many teens cross columns. Use this to widen what you are watching for, not to box your son in.
If what you are reading sounds like your son, a free 15-minute parent consult is the next step.
Is what you are seeing in your son a sign he needs therapy?
Five quick questions. We do not store your answers. At the end you will see what step we would recommend, based on what you are observing. Your answers are not saved.
The teen brain is still under construction
The teenage brain is not a smaller adult brain. The prefrontal cortex, which handles impulse control, planning, and emotional regulation, is the last part to finish developing. It is not done until the mid-twenties.
When your son blows up over something small or makes a decision that looks reckless, that is not character. That is biology meeting stress.
Prefrontal cortex finishes
Impulse control, planning, and emotional regulation are still wiring up well into the mid-twenties.
Cortisol reactivity
The adolescent stress system is more reactive than an adult's, then takes longer to settle.
Why his nervous system reacts the way it does
When a teen boy is under chronic stress, his nervous system shifts into survival mode. Cortisol rises. Sleep gets disrupted. Concentration drops.
Anger and shutdown become the default settings because they are faster than processing complicated feelings. He is not choosing this. His body is doing what it is built to do under pressure. Teens in the Denver and Boulder tech corridor often watch the adults around them running on the same wiring, which becomes the template for what stress looks like.
How therapy changes what is happening inside
Therapy works by giving the nervous system new patterns. Using CBT, EMDR, and family systems work, we help your son notice what his body is doing in a stressful moment, and choose his response instead of getting hijacked by it.
The result is the same kid with more capacity. He becomes more able to handle school, family, friendships, and what is coming at him next.
When you are ready to start, schedule a free 15-minute parent consult.
The teen who says no, then shows up anyway
Almost every teen we see said no the first time. Some said no the first three times. Very few boys walk into our office on day one saying, "thanks for setting this up, mom."
The path forward is not winning the argument. It is reducing the size of the ask. A free 15-minute parent consult is not therapy. It is a free 15-minute parent consult with a therapist who knows how to talk to teenage boys. No commitment to continue.
How we engage a son who does not want to be here
Justin Rountree, LMFT, and David Sherman, LPC, regularly work with reluctant teens. They do not lecture. They do not push. They start by asking what your son is here for, and they listen to the answer.
Some boys arrive angry and leave less guarded. Not because everything was resolved, but because someone treated them like a person with reasons, instead of a problem to solve.
What the first session actually looks like
The first session is a conversation. Your son talks about what is going on. We ask questions. We do not push him to open up about anything he is not ready for.
You stay informed about treatment goals, attendance, progress, and safety concerns. Your son also gets enough privacy for therapy to work, within the limits we explain below.
If you are ready to find out if this fits, schedule a free 15-minute parent consult.
Work with a teen therapist in Denver who understands boys
Your son will not be handed to an intern or a generalist who occasionally sees teens. Justin Rountree, LMFT, and David Sherman, LPC, are fully licensed clinicians who work with adolescent and young adult males.
Meet your son's therapist
Justin Rountree
Works with young men who feel lost, disconnected, or unsure of who they are becoming. His training in family systems means he sees your son as part of his family, not in isolation from it.
Read full bio
David Sherman
Helps young men understand themselves and create authentic lives. He is direct, calm, and skilled at building rapport with boys who are wary of therapy.
Read full bioThe modalities we use and why
Evidence-based approaches calibrated to the adolescent male nervous system. We pick the method that fits the kid in the chair, not the other way around.
For anxiety, depression, and unhelpful thinking patterns.
For trauma, when indicated. Practice founded by an EMDRIA Approved Consultant.
Often blended with individual sessions when family dynamics are part of the picture.
For teens who have stopped doing what they used to enjoy.
Our practice was founded by Stephen Rodgers, LCSW, an EMDRIA Approved Consultant who trains and consults to other therapists in the field.
What we treat and what we refer out
We treat
- Anxiety
- Depression
- School stress
- Family conflict
- Mild substance use
- Mild trauma
- Boys ages 13 to 18
We refer out
- Active eating disorders
- Severe OCD
- Court-ordered cases
- Residential or IOP-level care
- Medication management
- ADHD testing
If your son needs one of these, we will help you find the right provider.
Office locations
We see clients in person at two Denver offices and via telehealth across Colorado.
Vine Street
Serves families in north Denver, Park Hill, and surrounding neighborhoods, including parents whose teens attend DPS schools where academic pressure runs high.
Vine Street officeMississippi Avenue
South Denver, Wash Park, and the Tech Center, with easy access for Cherry Creek school district families and DTC commuters.
Mississippi Avenue officeTelehealth
Secure video sessions across Colorado. Useful when commute time or scheduling makes in-person hard for your son.
If you are ready to start, schedule a free 15-minute parent consult.
Pick the moment, not the lecture
The worst time to bring up therapy is in the middle of an argument or right after a bad grade. The best time is a low-stakes moment in the car, after dinner, or on a walk. Side by side, not face to face.
Keep it short. One or two sentences. Then stop talking and let him respond.
What to say and what to skip
Try
I have noticed you have been struggling. I am not trying to push you into anything. I want to set up a consultation with someone who works with guys your age. You can decide after you meet him.
Skip
- We are worried about you.
- Your father and I think you need help.
- Any version of "this is for your own good."
Teen boys read those scripts as judgment, and they shut down.
When he says no the first time
Expect a no. Plan for a no. Do not back down, and do not push harder. Say something like, "I hear you. I am still going to set up the consultation, and you can decide after you meet him."
You are not asking permission. You are telling him what is happening, and giving him agency over what comes after.
If you want a structured way to have these conversations, learn about family therapy that brings parents into the work.
When you are ready, schedule a free 15-minute parent consult.
For pediatricians, school counselors, and family therapists.
We coordinate with referring providers across the Denver metro when releases and clinical fit make that appropriate.
Who we are the right referral for
A strong fit for the Denver teen who looks fine on paper but is falling apart at home. The DPS or Cherry Creek student whose parents are getting calls from teachers. The hockey or lacrosse kid who is suddenly quitting his sport. The high-achiever whose grades just dropped a letter for the first time. This is the kind of pattern our teen counseling work is built to address.
Not a fit for active suicidal crisis, severe eating disorders, severe OCD, court-ordered cases, or anyone needing IOP or residential care.
How to refer
Call our office at 720-295-4233 or have the family call. With a release of information signed, we share treatment goals, progress, and any safety concerns within one business day. Intake responds to referral inquiries within one business day.
What parents ask before booking
The questions parents most often ask before scheduling their son's first session.
Your son needs privacy for therapy to work. We explain confidentiality clearly at the start: parents stay informed about treatment goals, attendance, progress, and safety concerns, but we do not provide a session-by-session transcript. If there is risk of harm, abuse, or another legally required safety issue, we involve parents and the appropriate supports.
Yes. Many parents start with a free 15-minute parent consult before their son is fully on board. We help you think through what you are seeing, how to bring therapy up, and whether DMT is a good fit. The goal is not to force him. The goal is to reduce the size of the first step.
Many teen boys say no first. The path forward is reducing the size of the ask. Start with a free 15-minute parent consult, not a demand for ongoing therapy. Justin Rountree, LMFT, and David Sherman, LPC, are skilled at engaging reluctant teens. The first goal is not a breakthrough. It is helping him feel respected enough to consider coming back.
We treat anxiety, depression, school stress, family conflict, mild substance use, and mild trauma in boys ages 13 to 18. We do not treat severe OCD, active eating disorders, or anyone needing intensive outpatient or residential care. We do not prescribe medication or test for ADHD, but we work alongside prescribers and testing providers. If we are not the right fit, we will help you find someone who is.
Both offices offer the same clinicians and the same standard of care. Vine Street is convenient for families in north Denver, Park Hill, and the surrounding neighborhoods. Mississippi Avenue serves south Denver, Wash Park, and the Tech Center corridor. We also offer telehealth across Colorado. Pick whichever location makes the drive easier on you and your son. Book a consultation and we will schedule you at your preferred office.
We are a private-pay practice and do not bill insurance directly. We provide superbills you can submit to your insurance for out-of-network reimbursement, which most PPO plans cover at 50 to 80 percent. Sessions are 50 minutes and run at our standard private-pay rate. We discuss fees during the free 15-minute parent consult so you know what you are agreeing to before scheduling.
We schedule free 15-minute parent consults within three to five business days. If we cannot get you in that fast, we will tell you on the first call and help you find someone who can. Many teens start with weekly 50-minute sessions for the first eight to twelve weeks, then shift to every other week as progress allows. Some boys need only a few months. Others stay longer.
Look for a Denver teen therapy practice that names the clinicians who will see your son and lists their adolescent training. Ask whether they specialize in teen boys specifically, since male symptom presentation differs from female. Check that they explain confidentiality clearly and offer a consultation that includes him. Schedule consultations with your top two and let him help decide.
Free 15-minute parent consult.
We listen to what is going on with your son, answer your questions about confidentiality, scheduling, fit, and fees, and help you decide whether DMT is the right next step. No obligation to continue if it does not feel right.
You and your spouse may not agree on how to handle this.
Parenting a struggling teen burns through your reserves. If you and your spouse are arguing about how hard to push him, whether to take his phone, whether to call the school, you are in the territory we see most often.
Mothers and fathers of struggling sons rarely agree on the path forward. That disagreement, on top of the worry, is what wears people down.
You found this page on your own. That took guts.
If you are 18, you can book directly. If you are under 18 and reach out, we will explain what needs parent involvement and what stays private before anything starts. You will know exactly what is shared and what is not.
Call 720-295-4233 to talk to someone. You do not have to know what to say. You can start with, "I saw your page."
Disclaimer. Reading this page does not establish a therapeutic or professional relationship with Denver Men's Therapy or any of our clinicians. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, call or text 988 or go to your nearest emergency department. To determine whether our services fit your son's needs, schedule a free 15-minute parent consult.