My Teen Feels Lonely and Isolated—Can Therapy Help Them Connect with Others?
If your teen is struggling with loneliness and isolation, you've probably wondered: can therapy actually help them connect with others?
The short answer is yes—but not all therapy is the same when it comes to loneliness and isolation.
Individual therapy can help your teen understand their loneliness, process underlying issues, and build skills. That's valuable work. But individual therapy can't give your teen the actual experience of connection with peers.
Group therapy is different. It directly addresses isolation by putting your teen in real relationships with peers who understand. It's the difference between talking about connection and actually experiencing it.
As a Certified Group Psychotherapist who's been running groups for over 20 years, I've watched profoundly lonely teens discover they're not alone, build genuine connections, and find their place with peers who get them.
Let me explain how therapy can help—and which type might make the most sense for your teen.
Why are so many teens struggling with loneliness and isolation?
Teens today face unique challenges: social media creates comparison and FOMO, pressure to be perfect, pandemic disrupted social development, lack of authentic connection. Many teens feel profoundly alone even when surrounded by people. They're performing rather than genuinely connecting, and the "I'm the only one struggling" feeling intensifies isolation.
Teen loneliness is epidemic right now. Your teen isn't alone in feeling alone.
Here's what's contributing to it:
Social media creates constant comparison. Teens see everyone else's highlight reel and assume everyone has it easier, is happier, has more friends. They feel like they're missing out on a life everyone else is living.
Pressure to be perfect. Teens feel like they have to perform—get good grades, excel at activities, be likable, look right, say the right things. The pressure to curate themselves leaves no room for authenticity.
The pandemic disrupted social development. Teens who were in middle school during COVID missed critical years of learning how to navigate peer relationships.
Lack of authentic connection. Even when teens are surrounded by people at school, in activities, or online, they often feel profoundly alone. They're performing rather than genuinely connecting.
"I'm the only one struggling." Teens look around and assume everyone else has it together. That belief intensifies isolation.
Can individual therapy help a lonely teen connect with others?
Individual therapy helps teens understand their loneliness, process underlying issues, work on social anxiety, and build skills. It's valuable work. But here's the limitation: individual therapy can't give your teen the actual experience of connection with peers. You can talk about loneliness with a therapist, but you can't cure isolation without actual peer connection.
Individual therapy has value for lonely teens. Your teen can:
Understand where their loneliness comes from
Process experiences contributing to isolation
Work on social anxiety that makes connection feel scary
Build communication skills
Develop coping strategies
Feel safe talking one-on-one
Individual therapy provides a foundation and helps your teen make sense of their experience.
But here's what individual therapy can't do: it can't replicate the experience of being in relationships with peers who matter. Your teen can talk about feeling lonely with their therapist, but they're not practicing connection. They're not experiencing being seen and accepted by peers. They're not discovering that others feel the same way.
Individual therapy helps your teen understand loneliness. But it can't cure isolation, because isolation is cured through connection—and that requires peers.
How does group therapy help teens who feel lonely and isolated?
Group therapy directly addresses isolation by putting your teen in real relationships with peers who understand. They discover they're not the only one. They experience being seen and accepted by peers who matter. They practice authentic relating, not performing. Over time, they build genuine connections. It's not just talking about connection—it's experiencing it.
Group therapy is the antidote to isolation because it provides what lonely teens need most: actual peer connection.
Here's what happens in group therapy:
They discover they're not alone. When your teen hears another group member say "I feel that way too" or "I struggle with the same thing," something shifts. The shame of being the only one dissolves.
They experience being seen and accepted by peers. In group, your teen shares something vulnerable and peers respond with understanding, validation, and acceptance. Not judgment. Not rejection. That experience changes how your teen sees themselves.
They practice authentic relating, not performing. Group therapy is a place where your teen can stop performing and start being real. They learn that people like them more when they're genuine than when they're trying to be perfect.
They build genuine connections. Over weeks and months, relationships form. Your teen starts looking forward to seeing specific group members. They care about each other.
They're experiencing connection, not just talking about it. In group, your teen is in relationships with peers who matter. They're navigating conflict, setting boundaries, being vulnerable, receiving feedback, supporting others.
For teens who feel like outsiders everywhere else—at school, in activities, online—group therapy becomes a place where they belong.
Should my lonely teen do individual therapy, group therapy, or both?
We'll assess during intake what makes the most sense. Sometimes individual therapy is enough. Sometimes group therapy is what your teen needs most. Sometimes both work well together. We understand cost matters. Some teens find connection through school clubs, church groups, or activities—and that's great. But for teens who struggle to connect in those settings, group therapy provides structured support they can't get elsewhere.
There's no one-size-fits-all answer.
Individual therapy might be enough when:
Your teen's loneliness is related to specific issues that can be worked through one-on-one
They have some peer connections but need help navigating them
Social anxiety needs to be addressed before group feels manageable
Group therapy might be the best fit when:
Isolation and lack of peer connection is the core issue
Your teen struggles to connect in other settings (school, church, activities)
They need the actual experience of peer relationships, not just talking about it
Both can work well together when:
Your teen needs individual therapy for specific issues AND peer connection
They're stepping down from higher levels of care
Cost matters. We get it. We'll be honest during intake about what we think your teen needs most.
Some teens find connection in other places. School clubs, church youth groups, sports teams—these can provide peer connection. If your teen is connecting in those settings, that's wonderful.
But for teens who struggle to connect in those settings—who have opportunities but can't seem to take advantage of them—group therapy provides something different. It's structured support with a trained therapist helping facilitate connection in a safe environment.
At The Wellness Collective, we assess during intake what makes the most sense for your teen. We're not trying to sell you on doing both. We're trying to figure out what your teen actually needs.
Helping Your Lonely Teen Connect in Hermosa Beach, CA
If your teen is lonely and isolated, therapy can help them connect with others—but the type of therapy matters.
At The Wellness Collective in Hermosa Beach, we offer both individual therapy and group therapy for middle school girls, high school girls, and young adults. All of our groups are led by or supervised by a Certified Group Psychotherapist.
During intake, we'll assess what makes the most sense for your teen. Sometimes that's individual therapy. Sometimes it's group therapy. Sometimes it's both.
For lonely, isolated teens, group therapy often provides what they need most: the actual experience of peer connection in a safe, structured environment where they can be themselves.
Worried about your teen's loneliness and isolation?
Contact us to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation. We'll talk about what's going on and help you figure out whether individual therapy, group therapy, or both would help your teen connect.
Phone: 310-817-0599
Email: Info@thewellnesscollectiveca.com
Website: www.thewellnesscollectiveca.com
For more information about group therapy, read:
Can Group Therapy Help Someone with High-Functioning Autism or Social Anxiety?
Is Group Therapy Confidential—What If Someone Shares My Story?
How Do I Choose the Right Kind of Group Therapy for My Child, Teen, or Young Adult?
What is the Difference between a Time-Limited Group and an Open-Ended Group?
How Do I Know If My Child or Teen Needs a Social Skills Group?
Is Group Therapy Effective for Social Anxiety or Fear of Talking to Others?
Visit our Group Therapy page: www.thewellnesscollectiveca.com/group-therapy
About the Author
Leah Niehaus is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGP) with over 20 years of clinical experience specializing in group therapy for children, adolescents, and young adults. As the owner and Clinical Director of The Wellness Collective in Hermosa Beach, California, she has dedicated her career to helping individuals navigate life's challenges through the transformative power of group therapy.
Leah earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Pepperdine University and her Master's in Social Work from California State University, Long Beach. Her clinical background includes community mental health, public child welfare, and psychiatric social work at UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital. She has been in private practice for 21 years and has operated a group practice for 9 years.
As a Certified Group Psychotherapist—an advanced credential representing specialized expertise in group therapy—Leah is recognized as an expert in group dynamics and interpersonal process therapy. She was recently honored by the City of Hermosa Beach as "Best of Clinical Social Work 2023."
Leah is a CAMFT Certified Clinical Supervisor, training the next generation of therapists. She serves as an Ambassador for South Bay Families Connected and sits on the Manhattan Beach Unified School District Medical Advisory Board. She is an active member of the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA),co-leads the Advanced Child & Adolescent Group Therapy Consult Group, and serves on the Public Outreach committee.
Leah is a frequent guest speaker and writer on parenting, adolescence, and group therapies. Her newsletter, "Lighter Touch with Leah," provides practical guidance for parents. As both a clinician and mother of three, she brings professional expertise and personal understanding to her work.
To learn more about Leah's approach or to schedule a free consultation, visit www.thewellnesscollectiveca.com or call 310-817-0599.
