Student and Teen Mental Health Services in New Jersey

Student/Teen Mental Health in New Jersey

Expert psychiatric care for teens and college students by board-certified psychiatrists in Red Bank and via telehealth across NJ, NY, and PA

Student and teen mental health services at Kolli Psychiatric & Associates provide comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and treatment specifically for adolescents, high school students, and college students navigating the unique pressures of teenage and young adult life. Our board-certified, fellowship-trained psychiatrists understand the mental health challenges facing today’s teens—from academic stress and social anxiety to depression, ADHD, perfectionism, social media pressures, college transition stress, and identity exploration.

We provide expert diagnosis and evidence-based treatment for anxiety, depression, ADHD, OCD, panic attacks, school refusal, and other psychiatric conditions affecting teens and young adults. Most students receive a clear diagnosis and personalized treatment plan at the first visit, including medication management when clinically appropriate.

The teenage and young adult years are when many mental health conditions first emerge, and academic and social pressures can make existing conditions worse. Whether your teen is struggling with overwhelming anxiety about school performance, experiencing depression that’s affecting motivation and friendships, having panic attacks, refusing to go to school, dealing with ADHD that’s making junior year impossible, or simply feeling like they can’t handle the pressure anymore, psychiatric evaluation and treatment can provide relief and help them get back on track.

We offer student and teen mental health services in-person at our Red Bank office or via secure telehealth throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania—which many teens prefer for privacy and convenience.

What to Expect at Your Teen’s Mental Health Evaluation

A psychiatric evaluation for teens and students is a confidential, judgment-free conversation designed to understand what’s happening in your teen’s life and create a treatment plan that works for them. We respect teens as individuals while keeping parents appropriately involved.

The evaluation typically includes:

Parent interview (15-20 minutes): We usually meet with parents briefly to understand your concerns, your teen’s developmental and medical history, family history, and what prompted the evaluation. This gives us important context and allows parents to share concerns without putting the teen on the spot.
Private session with your teen (30-45 minutes): We spend significant time talking with your teen alone to understand their perspective, symptoms, stressors, and goals. This private time is essential for building trust and allowing teens to discuss things they may not be comfortable sharing with parents present—like peer pressure, substance use, sexuality, self-harm, or how they really feel. We maintain confidentiality within appropriate limits and explain these boundaries upfront.
Family discussion and treatment planning (10-15 minutes): We bring parents back to discuss diagnosis, treatment recommendations, and next steps. We involve teens in this conversation and balance their need for privacy with parents’ need to be informed about treatment.

Your psychiatrist will explore:

• Current symptoms—anxiety, depression, mood swings, panic attacks, difficulty concentrating, intrusive thoughts, or behavioral changes
• Academic functioning—grades, attendance, ability to complete work, test anxiety, school refusal, college application stress
• Social life—friendships, romantic relationships, social anxiety, bullying, peer pressure, social media use
• Family dynamics—communication, conflict, expectations, major stressors, divorce, or family mental health history
• Sleep, appetite, energy levels, and substance use (alcohol, marijuana, vaping, other drugs)
• Self-harm behaviors, suicidal thoughts, or risk-taking behaviors
• Identity and developmental concerns—LGBTQ+ identity, body image, self-esteem
• Strengths, interests, coping strategies, and support systems
• Goals for treatment and what they hope will improve

Together, we’ll determine:

• An accurate psychiatric diagnosis (depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, etc.)
• Whether symptoms are primarily psychiatric, situational, or both
• What treatment approach will be most effective—medication, therapy, school accommodations, or a combination
• How to involve parents while respecting the teen’s privacy and autonomy
• Whether additional support (therapist, school counselor, academic accommodations) would be helpful

Many teens feel relieved after evaluation because someone finally understands what they’re experiencing and can explain it in a way that makes sense.

After Your Teen’s Evaluation: Creating a Treatment Plan That Works

Most teens and their families leave the evaluation with clarity about what’s been happening and a concrete plan to address it. Here’s what happens next:

Clear diagnosis and explanation – Your psychiatrist will explain the diagnosis in language your teen can understand, answer all questions, and discuss what it means for treatment. We frame mental health conditions as medical conditions, not character flaws.

Personalized treatment plan – Treatment may include medication, therapy referrals, lifestyle modifications (sleep, exercise, stress management), school accommodations, or a combination. We tailor treatment to your teen’s specific symptoms, preferences, and life situation.

Medication started same-day if appropriate – If medication is clinically indicated, we’ll prescribe it the same day after thoroughly discussing how it works, what to expect, and potential side effects. We only recommend medication when it will meaningfully improve functioning and quality of life.

Therapy referrals when beneficial – Many teens benefit from both medication management (with us) and weekly therapy with a therapist who specializes in adolescents. We can recommend excellent teen therapists in the area. Medication addresses brain chemistry while therapy provides coping skills, processing emotions, and behavioral change.

School accommodation support – We provide documentation for 504 plans, extended time on tests, reduced course loads, medical leaves, or other accommodations when medically appropriate. This is especially important for students with anxiety, depression, or ADHD affecting academic performance.

Follow-up scheduled in 2-4 weeks – For teens starting medication, we schedule close follow-up to monitor effectiveness, side effects, and make adjustments as needed. We’re responsive to concerns and available to adjust treatment.
Privacy and confidentiality guidelines – We explain to both teens and parents what information we’ll share, what stays confidential, and under what circumstances we’d need to break confidentiality (safety concerns). This transparency builds trust.

Teen mental health conditions are highly treatable. With proper diagnosis, medication when needed, therapy, and support, most teens experience significant improvement in mood, anxiety, academic performance, and overall quality of life.

Why Red Bank Teens and College Students Choose Kolli Psychiatric in NJ

Board-certified psychiatrists who understand teen mental health

All of our providers are board-certified, fellowship-trained psychiatrists with specialized expertise in adolescent and young adult mental health. We understand the developmental, social, and academic pressures facing today’s teens. We speak directly to teens, not just their parents, and we take their concerns seriously. We do not employ nurse practitioners—you’re getting the highest level of psychiatric expertise.

We respect teens as individuals while involving parents appropriately

We balance teens’ need for privacy and autonomy with parents’ need to be involved in treatment decisions. We have private conversations with teens about sensitive topics, involve them as partners in treatment decisions, and help facilitate healthy communication between teens and parents when appropriate.

Expertise in anxiety, depression, ADHD, and teen-specific issues

We specialize in conditions that commonly affect teens and students—generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, depression, ADHD, OCD, eating concerns, perfectionism, school refusal, and stress-related conditions. We understand how academic pressure, social media, college applications, and identity development affect mental health.

Telehealth options that teens actually prefer

Many teens prefer telehealth appointments because they offer more privacy, eliminate transportation issues, and feel less stigmatizing than going to a psychiatrist’s office. Telehealth appointments are available throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. For college students away at school, telehealth allows continuity of care without needing to come home for appointments.

Same-day treatment plans with medication when appropriate

We don’t make teens wait weeks for relief. If medication is clinically indicated, we’ll prescribe it the same day and schedule close follow-up to monitor response. Many teens experience significant improvement in anxiety or depression within 2-4 weeks of starting medication.

Safe, evidence-based medication management for adolescents

We prescribe only medications with good safety and efficacy data for teens and young adults. We start with appropriate doses for adolescents, monitor carefully for side effects, and adjust treatment based on response. We discuss concerns about specific side effects (weight gain, sexual side effects, etc.) openly and work to find medications that treat symptoms without intolerable side effects.

School and college accommodation documentation

We provide documentation for high school 504 plans, SAT/ACT extended time, reduced course loads, medical leaves from college, dorm accommodations, and other academic supports. We understand what schools and colleges need to see in documentation and can advocate for appropriate accommodations.

Convenient Red Bank location plus flexible telehealth

Choose from in-person visits at our Red Bank office or meet with your psychiatrist via secure telehealth from anywhere in New Jersey, New York, or Pennsylvania. Telehealth is especially convenient for college students, busy high schoolers, or teens who prefer privacy.

Insurance-friendly out-of-network practice

We partner with Thrizer to handle your out-of-network insurance billing. Many families receive significant reimbursement and only pay their copay after meeting their deductible. Teen and young adult mental health services are typically covered benefits.

Mental Health Conditions Affecting Teens and Students

We diagnose and treat the full spectrum of psychiatric conditions affecting adolescents and young adults, with particular expertise in conditions that commonly emerge during the teenage years.

Anxiety disorders in teens are extremely common and often interfere with school performance, social relationships, and daily functioning. Generalized anxiety involves excessive worry about grades, college, future, health, or family. Social anxiety causes intense fear of judgment, embarrassment, or social situations—making presentations, eating in the cafeteria, or going to parties feel impossible. Panic disorder involves sudden, intense panic attacks with physical symptoms like racing heart, shortness of breath, and feeling like you’re dying. Test anxiety can be so severe it prevents students from performing despite knowing the material.

Depression in teens often looks like irritability, withdrawal, loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy, academic decline, sleep problems (sleeping too much or too little), changes in appetite, low energy, difficulty concentrating, and feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness. Teen depression is serious and highly treatable—it’s not just “teen angst” or something they’ll grow out of.

ADHD in teens becomes more impairing during high school when organizational demands, long-term projects, and independent studying increase. Many teens—especially girls and students with high intelligence—weren’t diagnosed earlier because they compensated until demands exceeded their coping abilities. Junior and senior year are when ADHD often becomes impossible to manage without treatment. Symptoms include difficulty focusing, procrastination, disorganization, forgotten assignments, time management problems, and underachievement despite intelligence.

School refusal and academic anxiety can stem from anxiety disorders, depression, bullying, learning disabilities, or overwhelming pressure to succeed. Students may have physical symptoms (stomachaches, headaches) before school, avoid going to classes, or have full school refusal. This requires comprehensive evaluation to understand the underlying cause and create an effective treatment plan.

Perfectionism and high-achieving anxiety affects many students in competitive academic environments. These teens appear successful externally but experience crippling anxiety about grades, college applications, disappointing parents, or not being “good enough.” They may work excessively, have rigid thinking, and develop anxiety or depression from unsustainable pressure.

OCD in teens involves intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental rituals (compulsions) performed to reduce anxiety. Common themes include contamination fears, harm obsessions, perfectionism, or need for symmetry. Many teens hide OCD symptoms because they feel ashamed, so it often goes unrecognized. OCD significantly impacts daily functioning and is highly treatable with medication and specialized therapy.

Social media and technology-related anxiety is a modern concern affecting many teens. Constant social comparison, fear of missing out (FOMO), cyberbullying, and pressure to maintain an online presence contribute to anxiety and depression. While social media isn’t a psychiatric diagnosis, we address how it’s affecting mental health and help teens develop healthier relationships with technology.

Eating concerns and body image issues are common in teens and can range from unhealthy dieting and body dissatisfaction to clinical eating disorders. While we’re not an eating disorder treatment center, we can evaluate concerns, provide initial treatment, and coordinate care with specialized eating disorder programs when needed.

Self-harm and suicidal thoughts are serious symptoms that require immediate professional evaluation. Self-harm (cutting, burning, hitting) is often a way teens cope with overwhelming emotions. Suicidal thoughts range from passive wishes not to exist to active plans to end one’s life. Both require comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and treatment. If your teen is experiencing these symptoms, seeking help is essential.

Substance use and mental health often co-occur in teens. Many teens use alcohol, marijuana, or other substances to self-medicate anxiety, depression, or ADHD. We evaluate whether substance use is causing mental health symptoms, whether mental health symptoms are driving substance use, or both—and create a treatment plan that addresses the whole picture.

College transition stress affects many first-year college students who develop anxiety or depression when adjusting to independence, academic rigor, social pressures, and being away from home. Some students who never had mental health concerns develop them during college. We provide evaluation and treatment for college students, including telehealth services so students can continue care while away at school.

LGBTQ+ mental health concerns – Teens exploring sexual orientation or gender identity face unique stressors including discrimination, family rejection, or internal conflict. We provide affirming, supportive care and treat the mental health conditions that disproportionately affect LGBTQ+ youth, including anxiety, depression, and trauma.

Supporting Teen Mental Health in Monmouth County

We understand that both teens and parents in Red Bank, Freehold, Marlboro, Rumson, Middletown, Holmdel, and throughout Monmouth County face unique pressures. Competitive academics, college application stress, social media pressures, and high expectations can take a toll on mental health. Here’s what we want teens and families to know:

Mental health conditions are medical conditions, not personal failures. Anxiety, depression, ADHD, and OCD involve brain chemistry and neurotransmitter function. They’re not caused by weakness, lack of resilience, or not trying hard enough. Seeking treatment is smart, not weak.

You’re not alone. Millions of teens experience mental health conditions. Many of your peers are dealing with similar struggles—they’re just not talking about it. Seeking help is increasingly common and accepted.
Treatment works. With proper diagnosis and treatment, most teens experience significant improvement. You don’t have to suffer through your teenage years hoping things will get better on their own.

Medication isn’t giving up or taking the easy way out. For many teens, medication corrects brain chemistry imbalances that make functioning impossible despite trying every other strategy. Medication allows you to access your own capabilities and engage in therapy and other interventions more effectively.

Your mental health matters as much as your grades. Academic success means nothing if you’re miserable, anxious, or depressed. Taking care of your mental health isn’t selfish or a distraction from your goals—it’s essential for achieving them.

Asking for help is strength, not weakness. It takes courage to admit you’re struggling and seek professional help. That’s self-awareness and maturity, not failure.
Parents: Your teen’s mental health is more important than their GPA. A teen who’s mentally healthy but gets Bs is better off than a teen with straight As who’s suicidal or having panic attacks. Academic achievement at the cost of mental health isn’t worth it.

Schedule Your Teen’s Mental Health Evaluation in New Jersey 

If you’re a teen struggling with anxiety, depression, academic stress, or other mental health concerns—or if you’re a parent worried about your teen’s mental health—a psychiatric evaluation can provide the clarity and treatment you need.

Call our office at 732-655-4568 or book an appointment online. We serve teens and college students in-person at our Red Bank office and via telehealth throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. We see students from across Monmouth County including Freehold, Marlboro, Rumson, Middletown, Holmdel, and surrounding communities, as well as college students attending schools throughout the region.

Ready to feel like yourself again?
Let’s figure out what’s going on—and create a plan that works for you.

Frequently Asked Questions About Teen Mental Health Services

1. What age students do you treat?

We provide psychiatric care for adolescents, high school students, college students, and young adults—typically ages 13 through mid-20s. Our psychiatrists are fellowship-trained in adolescent and young adult psychiatry and understand the unique developmental and social challenges facing this age group.

2. Where can I find teen mental health services near me in Red Bank or Monmouth County?

Kolli Psychiatric & Associates provides expert teen and student mental health services in Red Bank, NJ, serving adolescents and young adults throughout Monmouth County including Freehold, Marlboro, Rumson, Middletown, Holmdel, and surrounding areas. Our board-certified psychiatrists specialize in teen mental health and offer both in-person appointments at our Red Bank office and telehealth throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

3. How long does a teen mental health evaluation take?

The initial evaluation typically takes 60 minutes. This usually includes a brief parent interview (15-20 minutes), private session with your teen (30-45 minutes), and family discussion with treatment planning (10-15 minutes). Follow-up medication management visits are typically 20-30 minutes.

4. Will I be in the room during my teen’s evaluation?

We typically meet with parents briefly first, then spend the majority of time talking privately with your teen. This private time is essential for building trust and allowing teens to discuss sensitive topics they may not be comfortable sharing with parents present. We bring parents back at the end to discuss diagnosis, treatment recommendations, and next steps while involving the teen in the conversation.

5. What will you share with parents, and what stays confidential?

We explain confidentiality boundaries to both teens and parents at the start of evaluation. Generally, we keep the specifics of what teens share confidential but inform parents about diagnosis, treatment recommendations, and general themes. We break confidentiality when there are safety concerns—if a teen is suicidal, self-harming, being abused, or in danger. We’re transparent about these limits and work to balance teen privacy with parent involvement.

6. How do I find treatment for teen anxiety near me?

Kolli Psychiatric & Associates provides specialized teen anxiety treatment in Red Bank and throughout Monmouth County, NJ. We treat all types of anxiety disorders in adolescents including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, and test anxiety. Treatment typically includes medication management with SSRIs or other anti-anxiety medications, therapy referrals for cognitive-behavioral approaches, and strategies for managing school-related anxiety. Available in-person and via telehealth.

7. Where can I get treatment for teen depression near me?

We offer comprehensive teen depression treatment for students in Red Bank, Freehold, Marlboro, and throughout Monmouth County, NJ. Our board-certified psychiatrists provide expert evaluation, medication management with antidepressants proven effective for adolescents, therapy referrals, and support for school accommodations when needed. We understand that teen depression often looks like irritability and withdrawal rather than obvious sadness, and we provide evidence-based treatment to help teens feel like themselves again.

8. Can you evaluate and treat ADHD in high school students?

Yes. We provide comprehensive ADHD evaluations and medication management for high school students and college students. Many teens aren’t diagnosed with ADHD until high school when organizational demands, long-term projects, and independent studying make their difficulties more apparent.

We diagnose ADHD, prescribe and manage stimulant and non-stimulant medications, and provide documentation for school accommodations including extended time on tests and SAT/ACT accommodations.

9. Will my teen be prescribed medication at the first visit?

If medication is clinically appropriate and your teen (and parents for minors) are comfortable proceeding, we can prescribe it at the first visit. We thoroughly discuss how medication works, potential side effects, alternatives, and what to expect.

For teens, we involve them in the decision about whether to start medication—we don’t force treatment on anyone. Many teens experience significant relief from anxiety or depression within a few weeks of starting medication.

10. What medications do you prescribe for teens?

We prescribe FDA-approved medications with good safety and efficacy data for adolescents. For anxiety and depression, this typically includes SSRIs like Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, or Celexa. For ADHD, we prescribe stimulants (Adderall, Vyvanse, Concerta) and non-stimulants (Strattera, Intuniv). For OCD, we may use higher doses of SSRIs or medications like Luvox. We discuss all options, including potential side effects, and choose medications based on the teen’s specific symptoms and concerns.

11. Are antidepressants safe for teenagers?

Yes, when prescribed and monitored appropriately by a psychiatrist. SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are FDA-approved for treating depression and anxiety in adolescents and have been used safely in teens for decades. There’s a black box warning about increased suicidal thinking in the first few weeks of treatment in some teens, which is why we monitor closely with follow-up appointments.

For most teens with moderate to severe depression or anxiety, the benefits of treatment significantly outweigh the risks, and untreated depression carries its own serious risks.

12. My teen doesn’t think anything is wrong. How do I get them to come to an appointment?

This is very common. Sometimes framing it as “we’re going to talk to a doctor who can help figure out what’s going on and see if there’s anything that might make things easier” is less threatening than “you’re going to see a psychiatrist because something’s wrong with you.”

Many teens who are resistant initially feel better after the evaluation because someone finally understands what they’re experiencing. We’re skilled at engaging reluctant teens and creating a non-judgmental environment.

13. Can you help with school accommodations or medical documentation?

Yes. We provide comprehensive documentation for high school 504 plans, extended time on standardized tests (SAT, ACT, AP exams), reduced course loads, medical leaves from college, late start times, or other accommodations when medically appropriate. We understand what schools and colleges require for documentation and can advocate for appropriate academic supports based on psychiatric diagnosis.

14. Can college students continue treatment while away at school?

Yes. We offer telehealth services throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, which allows college students to continue medication management while away at school. Many students prefer this to finding a new psychiatrist at college and starting over. Telehealth appointments can be scheduled around class schedules and don’t require coming home.

15. How do you treat school refusal in teens?

School refusal requires comprehensive evaluation to understand the underlying cause—which could be anxiety, depression, bullying, learning disabilities, social difficulties, or other factors. Treatment depends on the cause but often includes medication for anxiety or depression, therapy referrals, coordination with school counselors, accommodations to make school more manageable, and gradually increasing school attendance.

We work with families and schools to create a plan that gets the teen back to school while addressing the underlying issues.

16. Do you treat teens with eating disorders?

We can provide initial evaluation and treatment for teens with eating concerns, but we’re not a specialized eating disorder treatment center. For teens with moderate to severe eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia), we typically refer to specialized programs while potentially managing co-occurring conditions like anxiety or depression. We can coordinate care with eating disorder specialists when appropriate.

17. My teen is using marijuana regularly. Can you help?

Yes. We evaluate substance use in teens and determine whether it’s causing mental health symptoms, whether underlying anxiety or depression is driving substance use, or both. Many teens use marijuana to self-medicate anxiety, ADHD, or depression. We create treatment plans that address both substance use and underlying mental health conditions. For teens with significant substance use disorders, we may recommend specialized substance use treatment programs.

18. Can you provide LGBTQ+ affirming care for teens?

Absolutely. We provide affirming, supportive psychiatric care for LGBTQ+ teens and young adults. We understand the unique stressors facing LGBTQ+ youth and treat the mental health conditions that disproportionately affect this population, including anxiety, depression, and trauma. Our practice is a safe space where teens can be themselves without judgment.

19. How soon can I schedule an evaluation for my teen?

We typically have availability for new teen and student evaluations within 1-2 weeks. Call our office at [PHONE NUMBER] or request an appointment online, and our team will schedule you with a psychiatrist who specializes in adolescent mental health—either in-person at our Red Bank office or via telehealth.

20. Is teen mental health treatment covered by insurance?

Kolli Psychiatric & Associates is an out-of-network practice, but teen and student mental health services are typically covered as out-of-network mental health benefits. We partner with Thrizer to handle your insurance billing, and many families receive significant reimbursement. After meeting your deductible, you often only pay your copay for visits. We provide detailed superbills for all major insurance carriers.

21. What if my teen has been in therapy but isn’t getting better?

Sometimes therapy alone isn’t enough, especially for moderate to severe anxiety, depression, or ADHD. Medication can provide the neurochemical foundation that allows therapy to be more effective.

We can evaluate whether medication would help, whether the diagnosis needs to be reconsidered, or whether other factors are interfering with progress. Many teens benefit from both medication management and therapy working together.