Abstract
Initial psychotherapy sessions with adolescents can be very challenging due to the need to balance assessment, relationship building, caretaker/parent management, and case formulation with a client population that sometimes has little motivation for psychotherapy. This article combines empirical evidence, theoretical knowledge, and clinical experience to describe strategies for how psychotherapists can prepare themselves for initial psychotherapy sessions and manage tasks associated with five stages of the clinical interview: (a) the introduction, (b) the opening, (c) the body, (d) the closing, and (e) termination. Using case vignettes and short examples, there is an emphasis on how psychotherapists can develop and maintain a strong therapeutic alliance while simultaneously helping adolescent clients focus on psychotherapy tasks and goals. The overall goal of this article is to help psychotherapists smoothly navigate the potentially stormy stages of the initial clinical interview with adolescents.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arredondo, P., & Perez, P. (2006). Historical perspectives on the multicultural guidelines and contemporary applications. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 37(1), 1–5.
Ascherman, L. I., & Rubin, S. (2008). Current ethical issues in child and adolescent psychotherapy. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 17(1), 21–35.
Bernstein, N. (1996). Treating the unmanageable adolescent. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson.
Bordin, E. S. (1979). The generalizability of the psychoanalytic concept of the working alliance. Psychotherapy Theory, Research & Practice, 16(3), 252–260.
Choate, L. H. (2012). Counseling adolescents who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury: A dialectical behavior therapy approach. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 34(1), 56–71.
Church, E. (1994). The role of autonomy in adolescent psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, 31, 101–108.
Delgado, S. V. (2008). Psychodynamic psychotherapy for children and adolescents: An old friend revisited. Psychiatry, 5(5), 67–72.
Fitzpatrick, K. K., Moye, A., Hoste, R., Lock, J., & le Grange, D. (2010). Adolescent focused psychotherapy for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 40(1), 31–39.
Fouad, N. A., & Arredondo, P. (2007). Introduction to multicultural-centered practices. Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association.
Freud, A. (1946). The ego and the mechanisms of defense. New York: International University Press.
Hanna, F. J., Hanna, C. A., & Keys, S. G. (1999). Fifty strategies for counseling defiant, aggressive adolescents: Reaching, accepting, and relating. Journal of Counseling & Development, 77(4), 395–404.
Harvey, S. T., & Taylor, J. E. (2010). A meta-analysis of the effects of psychotherapy with sexually abused children and adolescents. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(5), 517–535.
Human, L. J., & Biesanz, J. C. (2011). Through the looking glass clearly: Accuracy and assumed similarity in well-adjusted individuals’ first impressions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(2), 349–364.
Lejuez, C. W., Hopko, D. R., Acierno, R., Daughters, S. B., & Pagoto, S. L. (2011). Ten year revision of the brief behavioral activation treatment for depression: Revised treatment manual. Behavior Modification, 35(2), 111–161.
Meier, S. T. (2011). Therapeutic assessment. In H. G. Rosenthal (Ed.), Favorite counseling and therapy techniques (2nd ed., pp. 209–211). New York, NY: Routledge.
Mitchell, D. (2006). Black swan green. New York: Random House.
Morris, J. (2012). Interpersonal psychotherapy in child and adolescent mental health services. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 19(2), 141–149.
Mufson, L., Dorta, K. P., Moreau, D., & Weissman, M. M. (2004). Interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Oetzel, K. B., & Scherer, D. G. (2003). Therapeutic engagement with adolescents in psychotherapy. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 40(3), 215–225.
Reynolds, S., Wilson, C., Austin, J., & Hooper, L. (2012). Effects of psychotherapy for anxiety in children and adolescents: A meta-analytic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 32(4), 251–262.
Richardson, B. G. (2001). Working with challenging youth: Lessons learned along the way. Philadelphia: Brunner-Routledge.
Shea, S. C. (1998). Psychiatric interviewing: The art of understanding (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders.
Shirk, S. R., Karver, M. S., & Brown, R. (2011). The alliance in child and adolescent psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, 48(1), 17–24.
Sommers-Flanagan, J., Richardson, B. G., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2011). A multi-theoretical, evidence-based approach for understanding and managing adolescent resistance to psychotherapy. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 41(2), 69–80.
Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2007). Tough kids, cool counseling: User-friendly approaches with challenging youth (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.
Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Sommers-Flanagan, R. (2012). Clinical interviewing (4th ed., update). New York, NY: Wiley.
Sue, S. (2006). Cultural competency: From philosophy to research and practice. Journal of Community Psychology. Special Issue: Addressing Mental Health Disparities through Culturally Competent Research and Community-Based Practice, 34(2), 237–245.
Weisz, J. R., & Gray, J. S. (2008). Evidence-based psychotherapy for children and adolescents: Data from the present and a model for the future. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 13(2), 54–65.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sommers-Flanagan, J., Bequette, T. The Initial Psychotherapy Interview with Adolescent Clients. J Contemp Psychother 43, 13–22 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-012-9225-5
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-012-9225-5