Teen Voices

Teen Voices: Tales from Family Therapy addresses violent behavior, bullying, drug addiction, reactive depression, eating disorders, and suicidal attempts in adolescence, from a systemic developmental perspective. Refocusing from adolescents’ disorders as personal, we enlarge the field we focus on, to consider the family as our client and as the main resource for resolving children’s problems (or symptoms). Here the larger goal of therapy is the change of the various inter-generational distortions that produce these symptoms. The model of therapy described and presented is experiential – the therapist plays an active role, being direct, authentic, emphatic, and able to stay close to the clients’ pain and despair, and to respond positively to their hope and desire for change. The main tools used to create a therapeutic alliance with the adolescent and to explore relevant family events are illustrated: provocation, support, humor, metaphors, curiosity, playfulness, self-disclosure, and sculpting. The family of origin, siblings, friends, pets, community members, and hospital workers are all included as consultants in the sessions, expanding the social resources of the family searching for emotional support and solidarity.