Our Mission at Center for Teens
At Center for Teens, we are on a mission to lead the mental health industry in providing evidence-based care specifically for adolescents. Our founders looked out into their community and saw the nation’s adolescent mental health crisis unfolding right here in Houston. Center for Teens is their answer to the desperate cries to address this crisis – to address the needs of one of our most valuable and vulnerable populations – teenagers. They’ve answered boldly, with thoughtfully designed curriculum and programming rooted solidly in those therapies that are scientifically proven to be most effective in combatting adolescents’ mental health challenges.
The Adolescent Mental Health Crisis
A 2023 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlighted that more than 40% of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the previous year. This percentage marks a continued increase from previous years, indicating that the mental health crisis among teens is ongoing and worsening.
A 2023 report by The Trevor Project found that 45% of LGBTQ+ teens seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, with 14% attempting suicide. LGBTQ+ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide compared to their heterosexual peers, highlighting the severe mental health challenges faced by this group due to stigma, discrimination, and lack of support.
Data from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) shows that in Harris County, suicide was the second leading cause of death among adolescents aged 15-19 in 2021. The suicide rate among this age group has increased by nearly 40% over the past decade.
A 2023 survey by the Houston Behavioral Health and Suicide Prevention Task Force found that nearly 60% of adolescents in Houston who needed mental health care did not receive it. This is due to various barriers, including cost, stigma, and a shortage of mental health professionals in the area.
What Makes Center for Teens Different?
Evidence Based Care
Providing scientifically proven therapies for adolescents.
Adolescent Centered
Dedicated solely to addressing teenage mental health
Trauma Informed Care
Recognizing the pervasive impacts of trauma, we therefore, create a safe, supportive environment that fosters trust, empowerment, and healing.
Measurement Based Care
Is quickly becoming the gold standard throughout the behavioral health field.
We're a Training Facility
We ensure all our clinical staff are thoroughly trained in those therapies that support our mission.
Family Involvement
We value and include Family. Indeed, the most important influence in teenagers lives.
The treatment modalities we have used to build our programming have all been rigorously tested and proven to help adolescents with a wide range of mental health struggles. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) inform our curriculum and every interaction our staff have with your teen. We are so dedicated to doing what works best for adolescents that even our non-clinical support staff are versed in the treatments we adhere to!
We are entirely devoted to adolescent treatment. Our treatment modalities are proven to be effective in adolescent populations, our facilities were built and designed to serve teens, and all our staff specialize in adolescent care. We don’t just have a child and adolescent wing in our center; we treat only adolescents every hour of every day we are open.
At CFT, we specialize in the treatment of pediatric mental health diagnoses including depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, bipolar, ADHD, and trauma related disorders. Although we recognize that teens with these diagnoses often use and misuse substances and we are equipped to deal with substance use issues, we are not a substance use disorder treatment facility. We don’t offer detox or rehab; our focus is all mental health, all the time.
Recognizing the pervasive impacts of trauma, we create a safe, supportive environment that fosters trust, empowerment, and healing.
Commitment to Measurement Based Care
Measurement based care is quickly becoming the gold standard throughout the behavioral health field. We measure treatment effectiveness in real time by using standardized assessments throughout the course of your teen’s treatment. Having this data allows us to make changes in treatment when needed. This might involve changing the type or intensity of therapy, adjusting medication, or exploring alternative interventions.
One study highlighted that measurement based care’s integration into adolescent PHPs led to substantial improvements in treatment outcomes. A significant reduction in symptom severity was observed in over 70% of patients, with more than 50% achieving clinically significant improvements within the first few weeks of treatment. Moreover, programs that consistently utilized MBC reported higher rates of patient and family satisfaction, as the continuous feedback loop fostered more personalized and effective care.
Center for Teens Training Facility
We ensure all our clinical staff are thoroughly trained in those therapies that support our mission. For example, each provider receives at least 30 hours per year of DBT and CBT training from the scientific leaders in our industry. We don’t stop there, though. Our mission is not only to see the teens who walk through our doors receive the standard of care they deserve; we’d like all teens to find healing and have hope for a brighter future. To that end, we offer monthly continuing education for clinicians who want to hone their skills and grow their talent for working with adolescents. We also partner with esteemed universities to give graduate students in psychology and counseling the training and experience they will need to address the adolescent mental health needs of the generations to come.
Family Involvement
We value and include families. We recognize that though our impact with the teens we treat will be great, their families are the most important influences in their lives. In our PHP and IOP, families attend family groups and/ or family therapy. Families are introduced to the same skills teens are learning in DBT so that they can model and encourage their teens as they implement these new ways of coping outside of CFT. Parents and caregivers usually find knowledge and implementation of these skills useful in their own lives, too!
Research shows that adolescents who receive family-based interventions have significantly lower hospitalization rates. One study found that family therapy reduced the need for hospitalization by 50% in adolescents with severe mental health issues compared to those who received individual therapy .- Fortune, Sinclair, and Hawkin
.– Fortune, Sinclair, and Hawkin
Our Team
Desiree Martinez
LPC - A, Program Therapist
LPC - A, Program Therapist
Desiree Martinez is a Licensed Professional Counselor- Associate and under the supervision of Evelyn Núñez, LPC-S. Desiree is passionate about working with adolescents in many areas of life such as perfectionism, anxiety, depression, substance use, trauma, grief, unexpected transitions, and relationships both with oneself and others.
Desiree is a Mexican-American Latina who works from a multicultural approach including but not limited to CBT, DBT, solution focused, and narrative therapies. She is devoted to working with diverse populations and meeting people where they are whilst continuously educating herself to be inclusive and mindful. Desiree graduated from the University of Houston and has a Masters degree in Education for Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She is certified as a Daring Way facilitator and sand tray trained in levels 1-4.
Desiree believes in cultivating authentic, compassionate, empowering, and secure relationships with her clients where they feel safe to be vulnerable while unpacking, healing, and processing through the therapeutic sessions.
During her leisure time you can find her deep in the Goodwill bins thrifting, singing her Broadway soundtracks from the top of her lungs, and seeing the featured musicals and plays in town!
Nicole Fletcher
M.S. NCC, LPC-A, Program Therapist
M.S. NCC, LPC-A, Program Therapist
Nicole Fletcher, M.S., NCC, LPC-Associate (supervised by Anselm Khoo, LPC-S), is a passionate and relatable mental health counselor with a heart for working with youth, families, and individuals navigating life’s messier moments. She brings a grounded, trauma-informed lens to her work with at-risk populations, supporting clients as they face challenges such as anxiety, anger, substance use, academic struggles, and family conflict. Known for her approachable style and a touch of quirky humor, Nicole connects easily with adolescents and young adults, especially those who feel misunderstood, guarded, or just plain over therapy. Her sessions are rooted in authenticity, empathy, and evidence-based practices, drawing from CBT, DBT, and Choice Theory. She believes in meeting people where they are, honoring their pace, and co-creating a therapeutic space that feels safe, engaging, and judgment-free.
Shelby Sauer
LMSW, Mind Matters Program Manager & Program Therapist
LMSW, Mind Matters Program Manager & Program Therapist
Shelby has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan where she specialized in interpersonal practice with children and youth. She also holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan. Shelby has been working as a Licensed Master
Social Worker (LMSW) for the last 10 years working primarily with adolescents and young adults with complex trauma backgrounds. She is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Internal
Family Systems (IFS). Additionally, she has received training in psychological safety with a focus on Anti-Black Racism, as well as training in working with LGBTQIA+ identified people. Each therapeutic modality is evidence based and will be incorporated
in sessions as appropriate.
With the understanding that therapy can feel intimidating, Shelby’s goal is to create a safe, inclusive, supportive, and warm space for her clients to feel comfortable to share on their own terms. She believes that clients are the experts of their own lives,
and will strive to create a trusting therapeutic relationship that effectively moves the client toward their goals. Shelby approaches therapy with a strengths-based mindset and a person in environment theoretical approach along with the belief that each individual
is unique and as such, requires their own tailored approach.
Shelby is a Licensed Master of Social Work, (LMSW, License Number: 114049), pursuing clinical licensure (LCSW) in the state of Texas. She is under the supervision of Faith Larson, LCSW-S who will provide her with clinical oversight to ensure she is providing
the best possible services to her clients.
Victoria Adeyemi
LPC Clinical Director
LPC Clinical Director
Victoria is a Licensed Professional Counselor who approaches her work through a trauma-focused, attachment-based lens. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and completed her master’s in clinical and Mental Health Counseling, both at Sam Houston State University.
Victoria has extensive experience supporting foster and adoptive families, children and adolescents with behavioral concerns and acute mental health needs, and individuals who have experienced trauma, abuse, sex trafficking, and traumatic loss. She has also worked in high-intensity crisis settings alongside the Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff’s Department, where she provided real-time mental health assessments, de-escalated life-threatening situations, and connected individuals to emergency services.
Utilizing an integrative therapeutic approach, Victoria draws from various modalities in which she is trained, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI), Perinatal Mental Health, and Internal Family Systems (IFS). She is also a certified provider of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).
Victoria is passionate about creating a safe and healthy space for clients to explore their inner experiences, build insight, and make meaningful changes. She enjoys working collaboratively with families to foster stronger connections and greater emotional cohesion. Known for her balance of directness, humor, and relatability, Victoria brings both clinical expertise and authentic human connection to the therapeutic process.
Jessica Toso
RN Intake Nurse/Outreach Coordinator
RN Intake Nurse/Outreach Coordinator
Jessica spent over a decade as a nurse at Houston Methodist Hospital, specializing in solid organ transplant care. Her experience in that field deepened her passion for providing high-quality, evidence based, compassionate, and culturally sensitive care to patients and their families. Through her work, Jessica gained valuable insight into the significant mental health needs that often accompany the pre- and post-transplant process, which sparked her interest in the mental health field.
After stepping away from bedside nursing three years ago, Jessica pursued a new path in education, working with children and discovering a love for teaching and connection. She is now excited to bring together her two areas of experience, healthcare and education- by working with and supporting teens through both physical and emotional wellness.
Outside of work, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, being outdoors, traveling, and hosting family and friends.
Reach Out Today
Have hope, help is on the way!