Adolescents experience great biological change while concurrently managing increasing and new psychological and social demands. Adolescents aim for independence and are encouraged to make responsible decisions as they approach adulthood. Psychologically, they struggle to define themselves in their changed roles of child, student, friend, as well as their new roles like boy or girlfriend or employee. As they test and experiment within these social roles support can be needed to ensure and support positive risk taking. Adolescent anxiety often manifests in withdrawal from regular activities. Absenteeism is a huge issue in schools, this avoidance behaviour is clearly one of the most identifiable results of anxiety within our school system.
Many biopsychosocial (BPS) factors can affect the treatment and management of adolescent anxiety. Adolescence is a period of rapid growth and new challenges; biological changes occur, the frontal lobe thickens, hormones surge and social expectations expand and change. Careful application of the BPS approach is necessary to ensure adolescent clients receive thoughtful and thorough treatment.
Unlike adults, adolescents are typically referred to counselling by their caregivers, and many are coerced to attend their first counselling sessions. Often a warm ‘hand off’ can support first session attendance. A caring adult can support the adolescent with a list of issues / concerns or even a strong introduction to start – sometimes accompanying the adolescent for that first session can help ease their fears.
Having worked with teens over the last 25 years I am very aware of the nuances and strategies necessary to help ensure engagement and develop a strong therapeutic relationship. Coach style counselling, with extensive patient / counsellor collaboration helps support the unique and individual needs of these clients.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) has proven results in the treatment of both adult and adolescent anxiety. While maintaining the integrity of CBT I will maintain the flexibility and openness needed to maintain adolescent collaboration necessary for continued adolescent engagement.