Counseling in Various Contexts
Counseling can be applied across various contexts, but it is particularly suited for working with adolescents.
Psychological Counseling
Psychological counseling is beneficial when there is no apparent psychological disorder but rather specific personal challenges. These may include developing resources, managing thoughts, improving emotional relationships, making decisions, or addressing personal development goals.
Through counseling, the psychologist aims to support, nurture, and enhance the individual’s potential by stimulating their personal abilities, awareness, and resources. Each context where counseling takes place has its unique characteristics.
Counseling in Teens
When it comes to adolescents, establishing a positive relationship is recognized as an essential component.It is through this relationship that a teens feel encouraged to open up and talk about themselves. Building this relationship step-by-step is critical, as its absence can hinder the therapeutic process.
Creating a positive bond with adolescents is, therefore, a fundamental aspect of counseling.
Study Insights
A recent study involving various health professionals experienced in working with adolescents used focus groups to explore factors that support effective practice. The study highlighted that working with adolescents varies on a case-by-case basis. However, it identified the centrality of relationships—emphasizing the importance of building and collaborating in the therapeutic process—as a unifying theme (Schmied & Walsh, 2010).
Challenges in Engaging Adolescents
Engaging adolescents in therapy is often perceived as challenging.One hypothesis is that the difficulty may stem from the difference in how teens and adults perceive time. For some adolescents, even a short intervention might feel endless or like an oppressive imposition on their freedom.
Given these unique characteristics, adolescents may benefit from a focused intervention that provides them with tools to manage their challenges within a shorter timeframe. Counseling, with its structured and targeted approach, seems particularly well-suited to meet these needs.
The Goals of Adolescent Counseling
The primary objective of counseling in teens is often to equip them with tools to face difficulties related to their growth and integration into school, social, educational, and work environments.
Risk behaviors commonly emerge during adolescence, making preventive efforts especially critical. Such efforts should ideally begin before significant distress develops.
Preventive Interventions in Counseling
School counseling often focuses on analyzing and preventing problems related to poor academic performance, which can predict broader behavioral issues. Preventive interventions aim to:
Create a supportive social environment.
Promote physical and mental health through public policies.
Teach adolescents to manage stress.
Help them develop flexibility and a personal repertoire of strategies to handle diverse situations effectively.
Types of Adolescent Counseling
According to the Department of Education and Science (1988), counseling for adolescents can be categorized as:
Informal Counseling: Focused on listening and providing guidance.
Formal Counseling: Aimed at supporting adolescents through developmental tasks.
Psychotherapeutic Counseling: Addressing significant emotional or psychological challenges.
Counseling can operate at healthcare, socio-environmental, and psychological levels. Communication skills, active listening, and empathy play a greater role in adolescent counseling compared to adult counseling, though they remain fundamental in all effective communication processes.
Group Counseling
Group counseling in schools or community centers can complement individual counseling by encouraging adolescents to express various aspects of themselves in a supportive environment.
Role of the Counselor
The primary task of a counselor when working with adolescents is to provide valid solutions to help them navigate developmental challenges. This approach prevents unhealthy behaviors that could compromise their future growth.
Resilience and Risk Factors
Analyzing resilience and risk factors is crucial for both preventive and targeted interventions.
Resilience Factors: Protective personal and social elements that help individuals manage adversity.
Risk Factors: Conditions or situations that increase vulnerability.
These factors stem from the interaction between individuals and their social environments, including family dynamics, economic conditions, and peer relationships.
Protective Factors
A good socio-economic condition, family involvement, recreational and sports activities, and robust social support can strengthen resilience.
Risk Factors
On the other hand, poor socio-economic conditions, single-parent households with limited resources, and lack of social support may represent significant risks.
Stress in Adolescence
Stress is a critical vulnerability factor during adolescence. Studies suggest that social uncertainty exacerbates the normal uncertainties of adolescence, increasing stress levels.
Geldard and Geldard distinguish between:
Normative Stress: Linked to typical developmental tasks.
Non-Normative Stress: Resulting from significant life changes such as parental divorce or bereavement.
Stressors can range from minor daily events to significant crises. Adolescents may face a combination of normative, acute, and chronic stressors.
Gender Differences
Research indicates that girls experience more stress-inducing events than boys, especially in family, friendship, and social contexts, and they perceive these events as more stressful.
Family and Social Environments
Family dynamics, communication styles, and external stressors significantly influence adolescents' well-being. A warm, supportive, and communicative family environment is ideal, while dysfunctional family situations can exacerbate stress.
Similarly, academic and peer environments play crucial roles. Academic challenges and the need for peer acceptance can impact adolescents' emotional states.
Conclusion
Amidst the significant changes and challenges of adolescence, psychological support can provide the necessary help. Psychological counseling, with its structured and relatable approach, stands out as a particularly effective method for working with adolescents.
Written by
Dr Elizabeth Moore, Psychologist
(consultation only in Italian)
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Bibliography
Ponterotto J., Quality research in counseling psychology, Jounal of Counseling 2005)
Weersing, Rozenman Gonzalez, Brief behavior therapy for pediatric anxiety and depression, Yama Psichiatric, 2008
Altman N., Briggs R., Frankel J., Gensler D., Pantone P. Psicoterapia Relazionale con i bambini, Astrolabio Ed. Roma (2005)
External resources
If you wish to explore the topic of psychological manipulation further and find relevant articles and studies, consider these important academic and institutional resources
American Psychological Association (APA).Link: American Psychological Association
Child Mind Institutei.Link: Child Mind Institute
Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM).Link: Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine