Main Response

Counseling Children and Adolescents
For this discussion, begin by watching this TED Talk by Julie Lythcott-Haims. Then, review the assigned article by Michael Ungar. Develop a main response in which you address the following questions:

How might an over-involved parent complicate the counseling process for children and teens?
What strategies would you use to help parents understand their overparenting behaviors and the effects they have on the child?
How might you work with a parent who wanted to be very involved in their teenager’s counseling sessions, against the wishes of the teen himself?
The Ungar article discusses the idea that overprotection is not necessary in environments that are generally very safe. How would you approach a family counseling situation in which the child faces very real threats to safety such as community violence, gang involvement, or high rates of involvement with drugs?

Readings

Play Therapy with Children and Adolescents in Crisis: Chapter 6
Gopalan, G., Goldstein, L., Klingenstein, K., Sicher, C., Blake, C., & McKay, M. M. (2010). Engaging families into child mental health treatment: Updates and special considerations. Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 19(3), 182.
Ungar, M. (2009). Overprotective Parenting: Helping Parents Provide Children the Right Amount of Risk and Responsibility. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 37, 258-271.