Therapists should use different strategies for engaging adolescents in conversation and rapport building. All counselors actively listened to the client and asked open-ended questions to get more information about the teenager’s fears and concerns (Hamman, 2009). They demonstrated empathy and responded to the topics raised by the client. In addition, the second therapist encouraged the teenager to seek help and talked about her experience of helping clients in similar situations. The adolescent generally responded positively to all therapists and was interested in communication.
The third counselor, Carrie Alexander-Albritton, used a cognitive-behavioral approach to focus on the client’s negative thoughts and determine their causes. She invited the teenager to write down her worries and feelings throughout the day (Hamman, 2009). In addition, the therapist used behavioral activation techniques, offering the client more time to do what brings pleasure and to do something for herself. Alexander-Albritton invited the teenager to talk to her parents and explain her feelings and emotions about the pressure placed on the client (Hamman, 2009). This would help the teenager better identify her emotions and learn to explain his position to others without feeling judgmental. The client said she would try journaling and thanked the therapist for listening to her (Hamman, 2009). In addition, the teenager admitted that she takes on too much and is aware of the need to talk with his parents to build rapport.
This approach seemed effective because it helped the teenager identify the negative thoughts that made the depression worse. In addition, the counselor suggested techniques that could improve the adolescent’s self-understanding and mood. Alexander-Albritton managed to involve the client and motivate her for further cooperation. This approach can be effective for substance abuse therapy because it offers distractions by which substance use can be noticed. Moreover, the counselor provides the necessary support and motivation for addiction therapy.
However, this approach will not be effective for adolescents who are not interested in therapy or not engaged in the communication with counselor. In addition, cognitive-behavioral therapy is not the best approach for clients with developmental disabilities, severe trauma, and problems with emotion regulation. This approach is best applied at those stages of therapy when the client can identify and explain the origin of their emotions, as this will provide the best results of counseling.
Reference
Hamman, E. (2009). Three counseling approaches: One adolescent client [Video]. Alexandria, VA: Microtraining Associates.