Readiness for Change Within the Family and the Identified Patient

  • Amber L. Runkel
  • Jacob D. Christenson
  • Amanda P. Glunz
  • Katherine F. Cobb
Chapter
First Online:
Part of the Focused Issues in Family Therapy book series (FIFT)

Abstract

Adolescence is a considerably challenging period of human development and can be viewed as a critical time for individuals to learn to regulate emotions, while also balancing biological and social changes. The family plays a key role in an adolescent’s development and the family’s role in the etiology, course, and outcome of an adolescent’s issues must be taken into account. Thus, it is imperative for families to remain involved when adolescents are in residential treatment. Accordingly, the benefits of, and methods for, increasing the adolescent’s and the family’s readiness for change is explored in this chapter. The process of increasing family engagement in residential treatment is considered through the lens of the Stages of Change model. By using the Stages of Change model, programs can better understand where the adolescent and family are at in their readiness for change and help them find and maintain the motivation to change mutually destructive behavior. The barriers practitioners may face with adolescents and their families in increasing readiness for change are also discussed.

Keywords

Residential treatment Adolescents Family engagement Stages of change Motivational interviewing 
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Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing AG 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  • Amber L. Runkel
    • 1
  • Jacob D. Christenson
    • 2
  • Amanda P. Glunz
    • 3
  • Katherine F. Cobb
    • 2
  1. 1.Sampson Family Therapy Services, LLCDes MoinesUSA
  2. 2.Mount Mercy UniversityCedar RapidsUSA
  3. 3.Child Guidance CenterJacksonvilleUSA

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