Teens deal with a lot. They have to keep up on their studies, figure out who they are, think about their future, and navigate relationships with parents, teachers, and other peers. Sometimes, they also hold down part-time jobs, have sibling responsibilities, and play sports in addition to all these things. Teens can feel a tremendous amount of pressure to succeed in their personal and academic lives, which can cause them considerable stress and anxiety. Sometimes parents are the best people to talk with about these things and sometimes they are not. What is important is that teens have somebody safe to talk to when they need it. 

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Throughout identity development, teens can struggle to feel confident enough in their own bodies, as a student, as a friend, and so on. Life can feel like they are on stage to the world and that others are the camera recording and shining a light on their own insecurities. A dynamic can occur where teens isolate themselves and their feelings from the world in order to protect themselves from outside judgment. They connect with others, but only superficially. In the words of Tyler Durman, "Teens are like BBQ Chicken: Just because they look done on the outside doesn't mean they are done on the inside."