Adolescents often have difficulty engaging in psychotherapy because they enter the process often without choice and feeling grossly misunderstood. Parents who take an active role in the process of family therapy can emit a feeling to their teenage child that "we are in this together," and may keep him or her from feeling they need to disprove their parents faulty claims about their sanity. Once engaged in treatment a therapist has the freedom to choose from several different approaches to working with families. Each method should have the impact of strengthening the therapeutic connection but more importantly, toward helping family members stay invested in the therapeutic process. Many times fathers are impatient with the perceived slow process of change when involved in family therapy. However, once they become aware that their participation frequently dictates the success and failure of therapy, they become more open to the possibilities that must unfold in an unforced way. That is to say, that a teenager is not simply going to suddenly become overtly open to sharing his or her inner world with his dad simply because he has been forced to share a space that's designed for that purpose. Instead, many teens are assessing their parents motive to determine what's in it for them. Is there an authentic interest on the part of the teens' parents to initiate change on their end or are they simply waiting for their son or daughter to "snap out of it." Families that view problems as a shared dilemma often fare much better than those that believe their teen must be "fixed" by a therapist. This nearly never is effective as therapist don't perceive teens as broken to begin with. They merely manifest the symptoms that are shared by other family members; most typically their parents.

Adolescents often have difficulty engaging in psychotherapy because they enter the process often without choice and feeling grossly misunderstood. Parents who take an active role in the process of family therapy can emit a feeling to their teenage child that "we are in this together," and may keep him or her from feeling they need to disprove their parents faulty claims about their sanity. Once engaged in treatment a therapist has the freedom to choose from several different approaches to working with families. Each method should have the impact of strengthening the therapeutic connection but more importantly, toward helping family members stay invested in the therapeutic process. Many times fathers are impatient with the perceived slow process of change when involved in family therapy. However, once they become aware that their participation frequently dictates the success and failure of therapy, they become more open to the possibilities that must unfold in an unforced way. That is to say, that a teenager is not simply going to suddenly become overtly open to sharing his or her inner world with his dad simply because he has been forced to share a space that's designed for that purpose. Instead, many teens are assessing their parents motive to determine what's in it for them. Is there an authentic interest on the part of the teens' parents to initiate change on their end or are they simply waiting for their son or daughter to "snap out of it." Families that view problems as a shared dilemma often fare much better than those that believe their teen must be "fixed" by a therapist. This nearly never is effective as therapist don't perceive teens as broken to begin with. They merely manifest the symptoms that are shared by other family members; most typically their parents.

Couples Therapy

Working with couples has taught me that each individual truly has something invaluable to offer the process of change in relationships. Typically one member of a couple is more motivated to seek support and feels the relationship is no longer tolerable without intervention. However, creating effective and lasting change requires the commitment of both individuals. The starting point for this change is a desire for a different way of relating; a craving to rewrite the script of communication that has not allowed the kind of closeness that people seek. As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I am uniquely trained to track patterns of relating that have caused couples to become “stuck” in repetitive and useless patterns of communicating. I challenge couples to become more authentic with one another and to take risks toward a deeper and more intimate connection. Through the use of couples assessment tools, interactive dialogue, solution-focused problem-solving and experiential activities, I incorporate a caring, empathetic presence with creative interventions while working in the “present” more than the past.


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Family Therapy

Each family has its own distinctive way of communicating. The particular style of relating is often what contributes toward family closeness. However, as families move through life transitions, individuals often discover new ways of communicating that is not always comfortable for those still relating in their family’s traditional manner. This can cause tension between family members, not because of the issue at hand, but due more to the contrast in the approach to problem solving. As a Family Therapist, I work experientially with all family members in shedding light on individual styles of communicating, helping families recognize strengths in others, encouraging risk taking and holding each other accountable for family well-being. I believe it is essential for family members to create a sense of safety for others family members to share thoughts and feelings that may be unpopular. My goal is to help family members become more aware of the interconnectedness of the family unit and to promote the motivation to desire change. This often occurs when family members are “sick and tired” of being “sick and tired.”


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Teen Therapy

As a specialist in adolescent issues, I have worked with adolescents and families for the past eleven years in various capacities.

I have developed my clinical skills within schools, hospitals, residential facilities and private practice. In addition, I have extensive experience working with special needs students struggling with emotional, behavioral and learning difficulties.

My fondness for the teenage population stems from a strong understanding of the unique challenges facing today’s youth. Teens today are inundated with conflicting messages from the media, changing family dynamics, dangerous club drugs, high stakes testing, online distress, cell phone madness and self-supervision. Even the most protected adolescents are exposed to many of these elements. My work with teens addresses these and other difficult issues and challenges young people to stretch the boundaries of communication with their parents.

I distinguish myself from other therapists in my ability to connect quickly, effectively and mutually respectfully with teens. I strive to continuously assist young people in exploring their inner world and simultaneously challenging them to take greater responsibility for their decision-making.

My approach to working with teen is interactive, solution-focused, collaborative and existential. I feel strongly that teens need honest, direct and creative approaches to mobilizing them. There is modest use for traditional psychodynamic approaches for contemporary kids who often have little tolerance for therapy to begin with.


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What can be changed versus what must be tolerated? I’ve often wondered why many feel that change is always possible. In reality, change can evolve within one’s perspective, but circumstances are not always possible to change. As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I feel strongly that understanding the diffference between these two ideas is central to the pursuit of contentment. Learning to accept the often unbending parts of our world and simultaneously exercising our power to choose, gives us a stronger balance in navigating through real issues.

I’ve been working with individuals, couples and families for the past ten years in varying capacities. I specialze in working with adolescent issues and have discovered that teenagers often have far more resiliency and desire for change than much of the adult world may realize. Through working in schools, hospitals, family agencies and private practice, I’ve had the privilege of coming to better understand the unique needs of teens, couples and families through my knowledge and experience as a systems trained therapist.

I am most experienced working with adolescents, couples and familes. I specialize in working with teenagers with difficult behaviors, ADHD, school anxiety, self-esteem issues, depression, anger management, parenting issues, divorce and family transitions, substance abuse, internet, cell phone, video game, t.v. and other media saturation problems, bullying, learning disabilities, sibling rivalry and grief and loss issues.

I work in a highly interactive manner, drawing on individual and family strengths to establish attainable goals. I truly believe that each member of a coupleship or family maintains specfic abilities that often go unnoticed by others that can help unlock the “stuck system.” I work primarily through solution-focused and experiential modalities. However, I incorporate narrative therapies and psychoanalytic approaches when appropriate.

I received my Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Cambridge College, where I was trained under some of the most highly qualified systems therapists in the country. In addition, I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education from Bridgewater State College. I have extensive experience working with adolescents with special needs. In addition, I was a member of a panel on a televison broadcast (NECN) entitled, “Educating the community in decoding teenage behavior.” My primary focus of therapy is to develop a relationship with you that is genuine, mutually respectful and focused on possibilities. It is not useful to enter into a therapeutic relationship when one is strictly hoping for external change. If you are committed to your own internal shifts, I would be happy to speak with you to see if we might be a good match.

Be well and be the change you seek.

Bryon Remo


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family therapist Connecticut adolescent therapist teen therapist adhd depression anxiety therapist Middlebury Southbury Newtown Connecticut

Adolescence is a period marked by constant uncertainty. Should I use drugs today or listen to that familial voice in my head that says, "You better not!" Should I become friends with that kids or am I likely to go down a path of no return with that kind of company? Should I study for that test or blow it off because I'll still have a B average anyway. It is undeniable that teens face constant daily decisions between vice and virtue wrestling with the forces of friends, family and self constantly at odds. It is important when working with teenagers to honor their voice despite the overt inconsistencies that are tempting to challenge. Teens do not care how intelligent adults and therapists might be if they doubt our ability to "get" their world- this is an adolescent world filled with overstimulation, unnecessary communication tools, media saturation, excessive pressure to perform and a home-life that may no longer even contain one parent when they return home. Kids today are forced to grow up in a world in which the rules are changing faster than even teens can make sense of. They are flooded with facebook, myspace and texting messages to the point at which face to face contact is quickly becoming insignificant and peculiar. There is a depersonalization going on out there that begs adults to take a closer look at how kids are communicating and more importantly the impact that this often hidden communication has on the inner lives of boys and girls. There is simply not enough supervisory hours possible for adults to keep pace with the influence young people have on each other. Although much of this communication has the potential to be useful, it often serves as a mode for the spread of gossip, rumor spreading, bullying, teasing and other means of taunting teens. Some teens even think it is an acceptable venue to begin a relationship and perhaps get married (that is the internet). It is imperative that parents, and especially divorced parents stay plugged in to the ever changing dynamics of teens. Family therapy, group therapy and individual therapy are just a few of the outlets available to assist parents and teens in distress. For more information on helping teens go to bryon@remocounseling.com bryon remo teen therapist adolescent therapist couples therapist group therapist family therapist 519 Heritage Road Southbury Connecticut