Expired Introduction to Family Therapy with Adolescents: Fostering Connection, Resolving Crises

Often adolescents struggle because of underlying family dynamics, often the adolescent’s struggle introduces or uncovers pre-existing, problematic family dynamics. Regardless, an adolescent’s issues are unlikely to abate until these dynamics are explored, and until there is a moment of mutual understanding and reconnection within the family. This workshop will provide an introduction to some of the basic concepts and techniques that are central to systemically oriented family therapy, with an emphasis on their application in family work with adolescents. We will explore techniques that can be useful in addressing the kinds of problems teens typically come in with (school failure, substance abuse, depression, acting out behaviors). And we will introduce techniques that can help foster connection and calm conflict. Our premise is that while the issues that teenagers bring in may not start in the family, they are unlikely to be resolved unless family love and support can be restored.

Learning Objectives:

• To learn some of the basic concepts that underlie family therapy interventions
• To learn techniques for healing strained relations between teenagers and their other family members
• To learn questions that are useful in assessing and intervening with both parents and teens around adolescent struggles

Presenter: