Richard Platt, LMFT
HistoryTeen therapy expert, Richard Platt, graduated from California Institute of Integral Studies with an M.A. in Counseling Psychology in 1995. He began his work at the T.A.L.K. Line of SF Family Service Agency in 1994 and was licensed in 1998. He was a primary therapist at Adolescent Recovery Services, an Intensive Outpatient Program in Marin. He has successfully counseled hundreds of families through the toughest challenges of raising teen boys.SpecialtiesFor thousands of years a young man's primary purpose was clear; to make the community safe and secure. Society's respect for this role was a powerful source of identity, self-esteem and direction for young men. Without acknowledgement or training for acting in this gallant, protective way, many teen boys are apathetic and confused. Recent neurological research has shown that puberty triggers massive frontal cortex development in teen boys. This engenders dramatic mood shifts, impulsive decision-making, as well as increased learning potential. Also, there are intense drives to create new self-identity, individuate from parents and experience altered states. Without healthy opportunities to express themselves, teen boys in Marin may begin dysfunctional relationships with drugs, sex, video games, or any potentially addictive activity. To become mature adults they need to learn how to deal with frustration, delay gratification, and acquire their own resources. Teen boys are generally resistant to talk therapy, which is why at Teen Solutions we work from a mentoring model. Therapy based on traditional mentoring/initiation models teaches adolescents how to let go of their boyhood attitudes and inspires them to find their unique voice. When a young man voices his fears without judgment, he begins to see that his concerns are normal and begins to trust himself.
