Frequently Asked Questions

How confidential is what I tell you?
The short answer is, it depends. If you tell us you are hurting yourself or someone else, we are required by law to report it. The law also says that you have the right to talk to an adult about things like chemical use and sexuality issues. We're glad that young people know they can talk to us about what's bothering them. Once they've done that, generally we will encourage them to talk with their parents. We're happy to be there when there when that happens. Many times, kids tell us how relieved they are when they finally tell their parents about their problems.

Will you tell someone at school?
Since we meet lots of kids at school, we may tell a counselor or social worker there that we are seeing you. We don't tell them what we talk about. However, we encourage you to talk with an adult you trust.

How does it work?
Just call 952-988-TEEN (8336).

* A counselor will return your call within 24 hours.
* A counselor will meet with you where you'd be most comfortable: at school, a coffee shop, or at home... wherever.
* It's easy to use Teens Alone's free and confidential services.

You can call us directly. Sometimes your school will call and tell us that a young person needs to talk to one of our counselors. Many times, a parent calls us to talk through some parenting challenges.

Isn't Teens Alone just for teens?
Even though our name says "teens," we're here to help both the teen and his or her family. Adolescence, by definition, is a time of great change -- both for the young person and their parents.

Who would I talk to?
The Teens Alone counseling staff...

Robert Ward, Psy.D., is Teens Alone's Program Supervisor. Previously. Rob was a staff psychologist at the Northern Illinois University Counseling and Student Development Center in DeKalb, Illinois. His background also includes working as a psychologist at a university mental health facility, a psychotherapist for Family and Children's Service in Minneapolis, and a mental health consultant for Minneapolis's Youth Diversion Program's Health and Wellness Clinic.

Andria Daniel has a Bachelor's Degree in Family Social Science from the University of Minnesota. Just prior to joining Teens Alone, she also was a Youth and Family Counselor at The Bridge for Runaway Youth.

Meg Hanna also works as a full-time Outreach Counselor during the school year. Meg earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Social Work from the College of St. Benedict. Before TEENS ALONE, Meg was an in-home counselor with Lutheran Social Service working with Child Protection.

Christopher Ochocki earned a Masters of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from Notre Dame College in Manchester, NH. Chris's background includes serving as a counselor, a youth minister, and a youth summer camp counselor and manager.