CBT Therapy for Teens and Young Adults in Fort Wayne
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is built on a simple, practical idea: what you think, what you feel, and what you do all affect each other. Change one, and the others start to shift. At Unwilted Counseling, Destina Rekeweg, LMHC, uses CBT therapy strategies to help young people ages 13 to 25 build skills they can use the same day they learn them.
In person in Fort Wayne or online across Indiana and eligible parts of Ohio. Book a free 15-minute consultation or call or text (260) 255-6432.
The Thought, Feeling, Action Cycle in Real Life
Here’s how one moment can spiral, and how CBT therapy helps you catch it:
Category | Without New Skills | With CBT Skills |
|---|---|---|
Action | Reread the text 20 times, skip plans that night | Put the phone down and keep your plans |
Feeling | Panic, shame | Mild worry that passes |
Thought | “They’re mad at me. I always mess things up.” | “They might be busy. I don’t actually know yet.” |
Situation | A friend doesn’t answer your text for three hours. | Same situation. |
Nothing about the situation changed. But the thought did, and so did everything after it. That’s the core of CBT therapy, and it’s a skill you can practice until it becomes automatic.
Skills You’ll Build in CBT Therapy
Each skill in CBT therapy is practical, teachable, and built for real life. Here’s what you’ll practice:
Catching and Questioning Thoughts
You’ll learn to spot thinking traps, like all-or-nothing thinking or assuming the worst, and test whether they hold up. This is often called cognitive restructuring.
Facing Fears Step by Step
For anxiety, avoidance keeps fear alive. So you build a ladder of small challenges and climb it at your own pace, a process called gradual exposure.
Getting Moving When Mood Is Low
Depression drains motivation. So behavioral activation flips the order: you plan small, meaningful actions first, and mood tends to follow.
Solving Problems Instead of Spinning
When stress piles up, you’ll break problems into pieces, list options, and choose a next step, instead of looping on worry.
Calming Your Body
Breathing, grounding, and relaxation skills also help when anxiety shows up physically, like a racing heart before a test or a presentation.
How CBT Fits Into Care at Unwilted
Unwilted Counseling uses CBT therapy as part of a broader, trauma-informed approach, not as a one-size-fits-all program. Some clients want structured skills right away, while others need to understand deeper patterns first. So Destina blends cognitive and skills-based strategies with EMDR, emotion-focused therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and IFS-informed work, based on what you need.
In practice, that might mean using CBT skills to manage panic now while slower, deeper work happens alongside it. Learn more about Unwilted’s trauma-informed and integrative approach.
A Typical CBT Session
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Check-in: How the week went, and what’s on your mind
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Review: What worked from last week’s practice, and what didn’t
- Focus: One skill or situation to work on together
- Plan: A small, realistic thing to try before next time
Practice between sessions is a big part of why CBT therapy works. However, it’s never busywork. Each step is something you choose and can actually fit into school, work, or family life.
Concerns Treated With CBT Therapy
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Generalized anxiety and constant worry → anxiety and depression therapy
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Social anxiety and fear of judgment → social anxiety counseling
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Depression and low motivation → depression and mood disorder counseling
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Procrastination, focus, and follow-through → executive function and motivation therapy
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Impulsive choices and acting before thinking → teen impulsivity therapy
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Panic attacks, test anxiety, and perfectionism, as part of individual therapy
CBT Therapy for Teens: What Parents Can Expect
Many teens like CBT therapy because it’s concrete. As a result, they leave sessions with a clear tool, not just a conversation. Parents often notice this first, when a teen uses a new skill during a tough moment at home.
For clients ages 13 to 17, parents have a short meeting with Destina at intake and receive general updates afterward. What your teen says in session stays private, except for safety concerns. With your teen’s agreement, Destina may invite you to a session to learn how to support new skills at home. Read more about counseling for teens and young adults.
About Your Therapist
Destina Rekeweg, LMHC, founded Unwilted Counseling in 2024 and is its only therapist, so you see her at every session. She works exclusively with teens and young adults ages 13 to 25 and has supported young people since 2019 in community mental health and social service settings. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling, is EMDR trained and IFS-informed, and has completed ASIST suicide intervention training. She’s licensed in Indiana (license #39005463A) and is a member of the National Board for Certified Counselors. Destina doesn’t prescribe medication, but she can coordinate with your prescriber when needed.
The Details
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Office: 3514 Stellhorn Rd., Fort Wayne, IN 46815, with free parking and accessible facilities. Serving Fort Wayne, Allen County, New Haven, Huntertown, and Leo-Cedarville.
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Online: Encrypted video in your browser, with no download and no recording. You must be in Indiana or an eligible part of Ohio during sessions, through the Counseling Compact. Learn more about virtual therapy.
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Mix and match: You can switch between in-person and online sessions.
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Hours: Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, 3 to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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Fees: $160 for the 50-minute intake assessment, then $135 per 50-minute session. Intensives run $202.50 (75 minutes), $270 (100 minutes), and $405 (150 minutes).
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Payment: Card, HSA or FSA card, cash, check, or the client portal.
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Insurance: Private pay only. Superbills are available for possible out-of-network reimbursement, depending on your plan.
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Good Faith Estimate: Available on request under the No Surprises Act.
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Cancellations: 48 hours’ notice. Unwilted waives the late fee if you reschedule within the same week.
Frequently Asked Questions
About CBT Therapy
No. CBT isn’t about forcing happy thoughts. It’s about checking whether your thoughts are accurate and helpful. Sometimes a worry turns out to be realistic, and then the work shifts to problem-solving. Instead, you aim for balanced, flexible thinking, not pretending everything is fine.
Usually, yes, but it’s small and practical. You might track a worry, try one feared situation, or plan a single activity. You and Destina design it together so it fits your schedule. Most of the progress in CBT therapy comes from practicing skills in real life, not just talking about them.
It depends on your goals. Research programs for teen anxiety often run about 12 to 14 sessions, while depression may take longer. At Unwilted, sessions usually start weekly and space out as skills become second nature. You and Destina review progress regularly and adjust.
Yes. At Unwilted, CBT skills are often paired with EMDR, emotion-focused therapy, or psychodynamic work. For example, you might use CBT tools to manage panic now while exploring deeper causes over time. This combined approach fits each person instead of forcing one method.
Yes. CBT works well over secure video, since most of it involves conversation, worksheets, and planning. Virtual sessions are available anywhere in Indiana and in eligible parts of Ohio. You can also switch between online and in-person sessions as your schedule changes.
Good Faith Estimate: Clients paying privately have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate explaining expected costs of care. You may request this prior to scheduling.
Start Building Skills That Last
You don’t have to figure out anxiety or low mood on your own. A free 15-minute consultation is a low-pressure way to ask questions and see if CBT-based therapy fits. Contact Unwilted Counseling, or call or text (260) 255-6432.
