adolescent
12 to 17 years
Adolescence is a confusing age for the best of us — for both adolescents and their parents. Besides the various hormonal changes that set in with puberty, it is a stage marked by individuation, where the adolescent is still within the family fold but yearning to establish his/her own identity, and with that, choices. While being impulsive, moody, rebellious or withdrawn into one’s own world can be just normal teenage behaviour, adolescents and their parents can usually, if belatedly, tell when it is interfering with everyday life. It is a time where boundaries get redrawn and pre-existing (diagnosed or undiagnosed) mental conditions (eating disorders, depression, self harm, suicidal ideation, anxiety, aggression and more), can make coping with the trials and conflicts of the age even harder.
Depending on the specific case, therapy involves the individual and relevant family members as dynamics undergo significant change. Differences arising out of changing expectations of privacy, autonomy and authority can aggravate already tenuous relationships, while testing the strongest. Therapy, which delves into the root, and takes a ring-side, clinical and impartial view of dynamics at play can help individuals become more aware and better able to cope. For conditions that require psychiatric help, therapy can work in tandem with the medical programme prescribed by the client’s psychiatrist.
therapeutic modalities
The focus is on strength-based interventions — to enable the client to function better and build resilience in the face of triggers and causes that often cannot be removed from one’s environment. A combination of therapeutic modalities works in various stages of the journey.
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
- Behaviour Therapy
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
- Solution Focussed Brief Therapy
- Narrative Therapy
- Supportive Psychotherapy
- Family Therapy
- Creative Therapy (Art and Play based)
- Mindfulness-based Therapy
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Attachment-based Therapy
- Grief and Loss
assessment capacity
Psychosocial Assessments
- Whole Family Functioning Assessment
- Parenting Capacity Assessment
- Foster Care/ Adoption Assessment
- Suicide Risk Assessment and Mental Health Assessment
Developmental Assessments
- Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2)
- Autism Diagnostic Interview (Revised) (ADI-R)
- Bayleys-III Infant Development Scales
Psychometric Assessments
- Stanford-Binet-V
- WPPSI- III
- WISC-IV
- WIAT-III
- WAIS
what to
expect
Legal Forms
Confidentiality and counselling agreement
The focus is on strength-based interventions — to enable the client to function better and build resilience in the face of triggers and causes that often cannot be removed from one’s environment. A combination of therapeutic modalities works in various stages of the journey.
Intake Form
Bio-psychosocial information to ascertain case background
The information you disclose in your intake form helps the psychologist develop a better understanding of the biological, social and enviromental factors that have shaped your developmental history. The document is protected under psychologist-client confidentiality terms.
Gauging the Situation
The first couple of meetings will be focussed on gaining a detailed understanding of the client’s concerns in terms of their particular situation, background, problems, strengths and potential. This process is necessary as it allows the psychologist to create a good fit between the client and the type of therapy. The psychologist and the client will thereafter collaboratively work on an approach that resonates with the client’s needs.
Building Resilience
A regular session lasts 60 minutes, during which the client is free to talk about present concerns. The conversation is primarily client-led, moderated closely to help the client reflect on the meaning/significance of their emotions, behaviour or thinking. Certain sessions are skill-based, depending on the type of therapy applied.
Therapeutic Schedule and Termination
Therapy at the best of times isn’t a linear process. The length of time that one devotes to therapy depends on the individual and their needs. For a singlular or well defined concern with relatively straightforward causes, shorter-term therapy, in the range of 6–12 sessions, is likely to be a reasonable length of time.
However, for clients who would like to address entrenched patterns with more complex causes, it may be helpful to attend therapy for a longer period of time.
Many people attend therapy not to address problems, but to facilitate their growth, well-being or effectiveness, and/or to reflect on their life and steer it in valued directions. In this case, the time that you spend in therapy depends on you and your goals.
Routine breaks in therapy after the first 10 weeks are recommended. After an initial period of weekly sessions, depending on the client and their progress, the psychologist might meet the client fortnightly and then on a ‘need’ basis only.
As the client and the psychologist discuss goals and objectives for therapy and review the process, the client is encouraged to talk about a flexible time frame that might be suitable to their needs.