Richard Platt, LMFT

Specialties

For 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.

History

Established in 1998.

Teen 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.

Meet the Business Owner

Richard P.

Business Owner

Richard Platt is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist since 1998 and a Certified Professional Coach since 2001. He specializes in individual empowerment and helps his Individual teen and adult clients create successful lives. He runs men’s and teen boy’s mentoring teams and has mentored at camps and outdoor education programs, including the Headwaters Outdoors School, Youth Leadership Conference, Challenge Day, and the Young Men’s Ultimate Weekend. He cofounded Teen Solutions in Mill Valley and is Past President of the Board of the Young Men’s Ultimate Weekend. He is a member of the Marin Chapter of The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. In addition to his counseling services, Richard mentors teen boys through hiking, team meetings and modern rites of passage initiations. He enjoys helping young men discover their individual qualities, as well as their role of responsibly serving and protecting their community.