Adolescent Therapy That Really Works: Helping Kids Who Never Asked for Help in the First Place (Norton Professional Books

by Janet Sasson Edgette

"I can thoroughly recommend it to any educational and child psychologist who has frequent eyeball-to-eyeball contact with adolescents and who wishes to develop a functional, but supportive, working relationship and adopt a balanced position between the needs of the school and those of a young person finding their way into adulthood." ― DECP Debate Edgette proposes a unique approach to relating to adolescents in therapy. Focusing on establishing genuine and unaffected relationships between therapists and teens, this book offers techniques for clinicians who want to engage and connect with their adolescent clients. The goal is to bring about conversations that are candid and therapeutically effective so that teens and their families can find dignified and durable solutions to their problems. Case examples and stories from Edgette’s own practice illustrate how therapists can successfully navigate difficult encounters, avert power struggles, and avoid dead-end dialogues that bore teenage clients and stall treatment. Thorough and lucidly written, Adolescent Therapy That Really Works shows therapist how to become partners with their clients, maintain their authority while also drawing teens into comfortable conversation, and read body language and facial expressions to better convey understanding and respect. Every therapist who works with adolescents and their families will benefit from the wisdom, skill, and honesty exhibited in Edgette’s therapeutic approach.

Genres: Psychology, School, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 19, 2006

Reviews

[Andie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've found this book so helpful. So much of this book is targeted at the idea that adolescents often lack agency, and this is something that is not unique to people of this age group. People of any age can find themselves in this situation. I've found the suggestions are easily adapted outside of an adolescent demographic. Highly recommend for therapists, parents, and teachers; as well as those who work with older adults in assisted living.

[Alison Raman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this during grad school but now after a few years in practice, this book is both more meaningful and relevant as I've worked with more families. The book is a great refresher on working with adolescents who don't want to be in therapy, present with challenging behaviors, and have parents that don't make it easy for the teen to make progress. Edgette clearly describes some of the most common mistakes therapists and parents make when working with a volatile teen, as well as the reasons behind the mistakes. She encourages an appropriate level of responsibility on the teens part to accept the consequences of their actions and to reinvigorate parents who, for whatever reason but mainly due to burnout or to keep the peace, lost their authority to implement reasonable and appropriate boundaries. She also speaks to the importance of allowing the teen to make changes privately and to save face when the teen does decide to let go of destructive behavior. Offering explicit praise for behavior changes may be helpful for some teens but for others, it may inadvertently undermine the teen's autonomy in making the change for himself. I would recommend this book to anyone who works with families or adolescents. If you are a therapist, you will undoubtedly recall some of your own shining and not so shining moments in your work as you read through the case examples. It is a quick, informative, and entertaining read.

[Tahira · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an engaging and practical text that seeks to reframe how therapists approach their work with adolescents. It is also from 2005, and that feels very apparent. Edgette makes a very strong case for how to build rapport with clients, how to assist clients in “joining” the therapy, but the book does not expand beyond the beginning phase of treatment. I was also repeatedly struck by how little estimation Edgette seems to hold for teens; yes, she is respectful and understanding, but there was a tone of condescension in her writing, and more than once the implication that teens are manipulative and exploitative - which is a narrative that I reject. Moreover, this is a book about teens who DO NOT want therapy, which is very different than a book about teens who actively want therapy, which I believe is more and more common in our current climate.

[Mary Anne Swart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book after starting my practicum at a public high school with students who were not too thrilled to find themselves meeting with me for weekly counseling sessions. It was full of helpful ideas and I anticipate returning to the pages many times over this next year.

I think I was hoping for some magic trick to convince them that they did indeed want therapy; however, I was reminded that you cannot force someone to want to get better. There are already enough adults in their lives who sacrifice authenticity for an illusion of intimacy; why be another one?

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd time reading this through and I continued to find new gems and words of wisdom. Validating for those who work with teens in therapy

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not well written. The information is helpful while working with adolescents but Edgette has a style that is very unique to her. Her points hit home but her examples are not diverse in approach. It's also apparently to me (as a practitioner) that she has a private practice. This may be less than ideal for someone working with urban youth in low-income areas.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a counselor and I doubt I will ever be one, but having worked with adolescents in the church context, this is a helpful book and I feel is correct in its overall approach to dealing with these kids.

[Dan Meier · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really helpful book that avoids jargon and preaching and is filled with helpful anecdotes.