Week 9: Psychotherapy With Children and Adolescents

Approximately 1 in 5 children and adolescents have a mental health disorder, which may lead to issues at home, school, and other areas of their lives (Prout & Fedewa, 2015). When working with this population, it is important to recognize that children and adolescents are not “mini adults” and should not be treated as such. Psychotherapy with these clients is often more complex than psychotherapy with the general adult population, particularly in terms of communication. As a result, strong therapeutic relationships are essential to success.

This week, as you explore psychotherapy with children and adolescents, you assess clients presenting with disruptive behaviors. You also examine therapies for treating these clients and consider potential outcomes. Finally, you develop diagnoses for clients receiving psychotherapy and consider legal and ethical implications of counseling these clients.

Photo Credit: [dolgachov]/[iStock / Getty Images Plus]/Getty Images

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2014). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.

• Chapter      17, “Psychotherapy With Children” (pp. 597–624)

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Note: You will access this text from the Walden Library databases.

Bass, C., van Nevel, J., & Swart, J. (2014). A comparison between dialectical behavior therapy, mode deactivation therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy in the treatment of adolescents. International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 9(2), 4–8. doi:10.1037/h0100991

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Koocher, G. P. (2003). Ethical issues in psychotherapy with adolescents. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 59(11), 1247–1256. PMID:14566959

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

McLeod, B. D., Jensen-Doss, A., Tully, C. B., Southam-Gerow, M. A., Weisz, J. R., & Kendall, P. C. (2016). The role of setting versus treatment type in alliance within youth therapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 84(5), 453–464. doi:10.1037/ccp0000081

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Zilberstein, K. (2014). The use and limitations of attachment theory in child psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, 51(1), 93–103. doi:10.1037/a0030930

Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013a). Disruptive behaviors – Part 1 [Multimedia file]. Baltimore, MD: Author. 

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013a). Disruptive behaviors – Part 2 [Multimedia file]. Baltimore, MD: Author. 

Walker, R. (n.d.). Making child therapy work [Video file]. Mill Valley, CA: Psychotherapy.net. 

Note: You will access this media from the Walden Library databases. The approximate length of this media piece is 95 minutes.

Optional Resources

Bruce, T., & Jongsma, A. (2010a). Evidence-based treatment planning for disruptive child and adolescent behavior [Video file]. Mill Valley, CA: Psychotherapy.net. 

Note: You will access this media from the Walden Library databases. The approximate length of this media piece is 63 minutes.

Discussion: Counseling Adolescents

The adolescent population is often referred to as “young adults,” but in some ways, this is a misrepresentation. Adolescents are not children, but they are not yet adults either. This transition from childhood to adulthood often poses many unique challenges to working with adolescent clients, particularly in terms of disruptive behavior. In your role, you must overcome these behaviors to effectively counsel clients. For this Discussion, as you examine the Disruptive Behaviors media in this week’s Learning Resources, consider how you might assess and treat adolescent clients presenting with disruptive behavior.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Assess      clients presenting with disruptive behavior
• Analyze      therapeutic approaches for treating clients presenting with disruptive      behavior
• Evaluate      outcomes for clients presenting with disruptive behavior

To prepare:

• Review      this week’s Learning Resources and reflect on the insights they provide.
• View      the media, Disruptive Behaviors. Select one of the four case      studies and assess the client.
• For      guidance on assessing the client, refer to pages 137-142 of the Wheeler      text in this week’s Learning Resources.

Note: To complete this Discussion, you must assess the client, but you are not required to submit a formal Comprehensive Client Assessment.

Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the “Post to Discussion Question” link and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click Submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking Submit!

By Day 3

Post an explanation of your observations of the hyperactive adolescent in the case study you selected, including behaviors that align to the criteria in DSM-5. Then, explain therapeutic approaches you might use with this client, including psychotropic medications if appropriate. Finally, explain expected outcomes for the client based on these therapeutic approaches. Support your approach with evidence-based literature.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.