In practice, it appears that emotion-focused therapy with adolescents requires a number of adjustments from a developmental and systemic perspective. These adjustments in the therapeutic process and the handling of the therapeutic relationship have been described on the basis of theoretical insights into emotion regulation during the phase of adolescence. More specifically, because working with strong emotions is less evident for adolescents than for adults, it is crucial to achieve a good working distance to emotions. To this end, we describe the use of creative means and symbols, which seem especially suitable for the younger adolescent. A new task has also been added for this target group, which has been called ‘symbolizing the system’.
The tPeP (Journal Person-centered experiential Psychotherapy) is the scientific journal for Dutch and Flemish psychotherapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists, that work from, or are interested in a client-centered perspective.
