At first, maybe things seemed mostly okay. But over time something started to feel different.
You find yourself worrying more than you used to. Your mind keeps replaying conversations, wondering what's going to happen next, or trying to make sense of how your family changed.
Sometimes you feel overwhelmed by everything you're carrying—school, friendships, family expectations, and the uncertainty that can come after divorce. Other times you feel emotionally exhausted from thinking about it all so much.
Overall, you feel anxious, overwhelmed, and stuck with questions that don't seem to have easy answers.
You may have even tried talking about it before, but it didn’t always feel like people fully understood what was going on for you.
Maybe it happened recently or a few years ago. Either way, if it's still sitting with you, I'm here to talk about it.
Hi, I’m Leslie Varela—your guide when family changes feel hard to understand and you need someone in your corner.
I’m a Texas therapist who works with teens who are trying to make sense of their parents’ divorce and everything that comes with it.
For a lot of teens, the impact of divorce doesn’t always show up right away. Sometimes it takes a few years before the questions, worries, or overwhelm starts surfacing.
By the time many teens reach out to me, they’re ready to talk things through with someone who isn’t part of the situation. Someone who can help them untangle what they’ve been carrying without judgment or pressure.
You don’t need to have the perfect words or know exactly what you want to say. Part of therapy is figuring that out together.
Most of my clients say therapy with me doesn’t always feel like “therapy.” It feels more like talking to a big sister or a chill aunt—someone who listens, gives honest feedback, and doesn’t judge.
We always start by building trust. That can take as long as you need. From there, we focus on helping you understand what’s going on inside while also learning practical ways to manage the moments when things feel overwhelming.
Sometimes we laugh. Sometimes we talk about the tough stuff. Most sessions are a mix of both. My goal is to meet you exactly where you are.
Teens I work with often tell me things like:
"I wish I could stop overthinking everything."
“Small things set me off and I don’t know why.”
“I keep thinking about my parents’ divorce and trying to make sense of it.”
“I feel stuck between my parents sometimes.”
“People think I’m overreacting, but it feels bigger than that.”
“I wish I could talk about this without worrying about hurting someone’s feelings.”
A lot of these teens are thoughtful, motivated, and actually want to understand themselves better. They often have a parent who cares deeply about them, but sometimes it still helps to have a space that belongs just to you.
Therapy gives you a place to slow things down and start untangling everything that’s been building under the surface.
In our sessions we might:
understand the worries and fears that keep showing up
make sense of thoughts that keep looping in your mind
learn practical ways to manage anxiety and overwhelm
explore the emotions connected to your parents' divorce
build confidence in handling uncertainty and change
As things start making more sense, many teens notice they feel calmer, less overwhelmed, and more confident in themselves. Sometimes your mind just needs space to process something big that happened in your life.
- Master of Science in Counseling
- Licensed Professional Counselor Associate
- Supervised by Dr. Shirin Khosravi, LPC-S
- Virtual & In-Person
- 2717 Commercial Center Blvd, Suite E200, Katy, TX 77494
Monday - Friday 10 AM - 6 PM
$80-$125 per 50-minute session
Sliding scale determined by household size and income
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
- Somatic Experiencing (SE)
A lot of teens actually look for a therapist themselves.
If that’s how you ended up here, it probably means you’re ready to talk to someone outside of your family about what’s been going on.
You don’t need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. We’ll take things one step at a time.
If you’re a parent reading this, you may have noticed a shift in your teen sometime after the divorce.
Maybe they seem more anxious than they used to be. Maybe they're overthinking things, worrying more, withdrawing from others, or seeming overwhelmed in ways that are hard to explain.
Even when teens have a supportive parent, divorce can leave a lot of unanswered questions and emotions that take time to sort through.
My approach keeps your teen’s privacy at the center while still supporting healthy communication within your family. Periodically I’ll check in with you about general progress and ways you can support your teen at home.
Your patience and willingness to give them space to process can make a meaningful difference.
Opening up to someone new can feel like a lot.
But therapy doesn’t have to be intense or intimidating. Some sessions are serious. Some are lighter. And sometimes we laugh and cry in the same conversation.
That’s all part of the process.
If your parents’ divorce has been weighing on you—or if you’re still trying to understand how it affected you—you don’t have to sort through that alone.
If you're a teen working through anxiety, overwhelm, and emotional challenges after divorce who wants a place to talk things through, or a parent looking for support for your teen, I’d be glad to connect.
We can start with a quick, low-pressure free 30-minute consultation to see if working together feels like a good fit. I'm available online and 2717 Commercial Center Blvd, Suite E200 Katy, TX 77494.
You don’t have to figure everything out on your own.