Helping Families with Defiant Adolescents

Abstract

This paper presents a model for working with defiant adolescents that aims to support parental authority and repair ruptured family relationships. After an initial family meeting in which the therapist presents a treatment contract focused on restoring mutual trust, a series of separate meetings with the parents and adolescent is held during which the therapist works concurrently with the parents to restore order in the household and with the adolescent to uncover feelings of hurt and betrayal. The final phase brings the parents and adolescent back together for a series of discussions focused on repairing the ruptures in their relationship.