Embracing the Adolescent

Embracing the Adolescent.pdf

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Cummings, E. E., (1971) Six Nonlectures. Antheneum, New York	... remember one thing only: that it's you - nobody else - who determine your destiny and decide your fate. Nobody else can be alive for you nor can you be alive for anyone else.
In working with adolescents	The Teenager and you, contact...between child and adult

In working with adolescents / teenagers I bring my experiences of working with 11 - 16 year old school students. As a teacher for 10 years I worked for much of this time with disaffected students; often relegated to the 'bottom sets' because of behavioural problems in the classroom. Since 2002, and alongside qualifying as a Gestalt therapist I have looked to work with adolescents and from 2004 up to 2015. I worked as a therapist within the school environment and as part of an adolescent provision team with over 460 contact hours.

Work with, not against
Respect
Acknowledgement
Their interest… not yours
​DON’T GO…	​The adolescent’s sense of self is not yet so strong that words and thoughts - symbolic representation - are enough to anchor its reality in the world.
	The adolescent self is a tentative reality, not yet proved. In many instances the answer to What is he trying to prove? It’s simple.
STAY	He is trying to prove that he is who he takes himself to be.