| Abstract: | Psychotherapy with adolescent clients (ACs) is difficult for at least 2 reasons: ACs frequently do not trust adults and ACs are often poorly motivated for treatment. Consequently there may be significant problems eliciting the cooperation needed to implement successfully various psychotherapeutic treatment techniques (PTTs) with ACs in general, and treatment-resistant ACs in particular. Several PTTs designed to capture ACs' attention, further the psychotherapeutic alliance, and facilitate cooperation are presented. PTTs include siding with the AC, teaching strategic skills, exploring moral dilemmas, wagering on cognitions and behaviors, and alternative communication strategies. Case illustrations are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of PTTs. It is recommended that psychotherapists consistently review the quality of their relationship with ACs to facilitate successful implementation of PTTs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
