Psychologist for young people
Growing up and entering adulthood do not always look the way other people imagine. Sometimes a young person still goes to school or university, meets friends or completes everyday responsibilities, while inside they feel tension, anxiety, loneliness, anger, emptiness or the sense that they cannot tell adults what is really happening.
I am a psychologist and I support teenagers, adolescents and young adults who are experiencing low mood, anxiety, pressure, difficulties in relationships, emotional overload or crisis. I also work with parents and caregivers who notice that something has changed, but do not yet know how to talk about it.
You can read more about who I am and how I understand psychological support on the page Psychologist Marta Korsak. Sessions are available in person in Bydgoszcz and online.
You do not need a diagnosis or perfectly named emotions. Sometimes it is enough to feel that coping alone is no longer enough.
When a young person does not say directly that they need help
Young people do not always say: “I need a psychologist”. Sometimes they say: “nothing is wrong”, “leave me alone”, “I don’t know”, “I’m tired” or “everyone keeps picking on me”. Sometimes they say nothing at all. They withdraw, stay in their room, talk less, explode more often or find it increasingly difficult to return to their usual rhythm.
This does not automatically mean that something dramatic is happening. But it may be a signal that the young person is no longer coping alone with tension, emotions, pressure or relationships.
For a parent, this can be difficult, because it is easy to get stuck between two thoughts: “maybe I’m exaggerating” and “I’m afraid I might miss something important”. In such a situation, a conversation with a psychologist can help calmly organise what is visible from the outside and what the young person may be experiencing inside.
It is not about looking for someone to blame. It is about creating a place where it becomes possible to speak differently than at home, at school or through a short “everything is fine”.
What young people may seek support with
Psychological support for young people does not have to begin with a major crisis. Sometimes it begins when everyday functioning starts to cost more and more strength.
Low mood
A young person may lose energy, withdraw, stop enjoying things that used to matter or feel emptiness and lack of meaning. If this topic is especially clear, the page about depression and low mood may also be helpful.
Anxiety and tension
Anxiety may be connected with school, university, relationships, the future, grades, appearance, conversations, conflicts or social situations. Sometimes a young person does not say they are afraid. They simply avoid, postpone, stay silent or react with anger.
Peer relationships
Difficulties may involve loneliness, rejection, conflict, group pressure, comparing oneself to others or the feeling of not truly belonging anywhere.
Relationships with parents
Growing up often means tension between the need for independence and the need for safety. A young person may want to decide for themselves and, at the same time, may not yet have enough resources to carry everything alone.
School pressure, university and the future
Grades, exams, choosing a school, final exams, university, work and the question “what next?” can create enormous pressure. Sometimes a young person hears that they have their whole life ahead of them, but inside they mainly feel the weight of decisions.
Loneliness and feeling misunderstood
A person can have friends, active social media and contact with others, while still feeling very lonely. Especially when the most important things remain unspoken.
For a parent or caregiver
A parent often notices change before the young person is ready to talk about it. You may see more tension, sleep difficulties, lower energy, poorer contact, withdrawal, more frequent conflicts or the sense that every conversation ends in a wall.
This can bring helplessness. You may not know whether to ask or step back. Whether to insist or give space. Whether this is a “normal stage” or a moment when support is worth looking for.
You do not need certainty to ask for help. If you are wondering whether your child’s situation is enough reason to reach out, you can also read the page Who is this help for?.
In working with young people, the safety of the young person matters to me, but so does clear communication with the parent or caregiver. This is especially important when the person using support is under 18.
Young adults – when “I should have it together by now” does not work
This page is also for young adults who are formally independent, but inside feel that adulthood arrived faster than their sense of readiness.
There may be pressure connected with university, work, decisions, relationships, money, moving out or family expectations. You may feel that others already know who they are and where they are going, while you are still trying to understand what you actually want.
Young adults often minimise their difficulties for a long time because “others have it worse”, “this is normal at this stage” or “I should be able to handle it”. And yet constant tension, emptiness, anxiety, insomnia, comparison and the feeling of being stuck are enough reason to pause.
If several areas overlap and it is difficult to choose one topic, you can also check the full scope of psychological support.
When it is worth considering a conversation with a psychologist
It is worth considering contact when a young person or young adult increasingly functions at the edge of their strength. You do not need to wait for a serious crisis. Support can begin earlier: from naming what is happening now.
You do not need to be able to explain everything at once. The first conversation can be the beginning of calmly organising the situation.
A conversation with a psychologist may be helpful when:
Depression, anxiety and overload in a young person
On this page I do not diagnose depression, anxiety disorders or other difficulties. I describe experiences with which teenagers and young adults may seek support.
Sometimes low mood, withdrawal, irritability, lack of strength or loss of interest are a reaction to overload. Sometimes they are a signal that mental health deserves closer attention. The most important thing is not to immediately find the right label, but not to stay with it alone.
If low mood, emptiness and lack of strength are especially close to what is happening, you can read more on the page Depression.
What the first consultation looks like
The first contact often brings tension both for the young person and for the parent. That is why it may help to know that the first consultation is not an exam, an interrogation or an assessment of the family.
Step 1 – You write or call
You can use the contact form, send an email or call. In the first message, it is enough to briefly write that the consultation concerns a teenager or young person and add whether you prefer an in-person meeting in Bydgoszcz or an online session.
Step 2 – We decide how to begin
Depending on the situation, the first conversation may involve the parent or caregiver, the young person, or a joint conversation. The aim is to understand the situation calmly, not to look for someone to blame.
Step 3 – We talk about what matters most now
The meeting may concern mood, relationships, school, family, loneliness, anxiety, tension, boundaries, communication difficulties or the feeling that everything has become too heavy.
You can read more about my way of working on the page How I work.
Confidentiality, parent and safety
In working with young people, a sense of safety is very important. A young person needs a space where they can speak honestly, without constant fear that every sentence will immediately be passed on.
At the same time, the parent or caregiver does not disappear from the process. Especially with minors, clear organisation of contact, caregiver consent and discussing the rules of cooperation are important.
Confidentiality does not mean lack of responsibility. If there is a threat to the life, health or safety of the young person or other people, it may be necessary to take action to protect safety.
At the beginning, it is worth calmly discussing what remains between the psychologist and the young person, when the parent is included in the conversation and in which situations safety becomes the priority.
What this page does not replace
This page may help recognise some difficulties, but it does not replace an individual consultation, diagnosis, psychiatric treatment or urgent help in a situation where life or health is at risk.
If you want to check how the public system of psychological and psychiatric support for children and young people works in Poland, you can read the information about psychological and psychiatric help for children and young people.
A general explanation of mental health support for children and young people is also available on the NHS page about children and young people’s mental health services.
If a young person needs an anonymous conversation, they can use the 116 111 helpline for children and young people or the Children’s Helpline of the Ombudsman for Children 800 12 12 12.
If there is an immediate threat to life or health, an intention to hurt oneself or concern that someone may be in danger, use urgent help: the emergency number 112, an emergency department, hospital admissions unit or emergency medical services.
Sessions in Bydgoszcz and online
Sessions are available in person in Bydgoszcz and online. One consultation lasts 50 minutes. The fee is 300 zł. After a phone message, email or contact form submission, I reply within 48 hours.
In the first message, you do not need to describe everything in detail. You can simply write: “I would like to schedule a consultation for a young person” and add a few words about the situation.
FAQ – Frequently asked questions
You can start with a calm conversation
If you are a parent and you do not know whether this is already the moment to seek help, you can write. If you are a young person and feel that something has become too difficult, you also do not need ready words.
The first step can be one calm conversation.