All the Rage

Many adolescent girls today are in a crisis of rage and despair. Some try to disappear through starvation; others carve indecipherable symbols onto their arms or run away from home; still others bully and get bullied, hide weeping in their rooms, or attempt suicide. How can therapists become more effective with this volatile population?

This highly practical workshop will explore 10 vital principles underlying effective practice with adolescent girls. It will offer concrete strategies and methods for helping girls in crisis and examine the limitations of old standards of care, such as self-harm contracts and confidentiality rules. You'll learn what questions to ask and how to rally support for the girls from their extended family and relationship networks. You'll also find out about a variety of practical strategies that work, including harm reduction, inviting resistance, and developing a protective circle of adults. You'll hear about interventions specifically addressing some of the most vexing problems encountered by all therapists working with adolescent girls, including self-harm and social aggression. By the end of this workshop, you'll know what it takes to stay connected to these struggling adolescents as you help them become competent, inter-dependent young women.

You will learn to —

Martha Straus, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology at Antioch New England Graduate School in Keene, New Hampshire, and adjunct instructor in psychiatry at Dartmouth Medical School. She maintains a small private practice in Brattleboro, Vermont, and consults to schools, social service agencies, and courts. Dr. Straus is the author of numerous articles and four books, including No-Talk Therapy for Children and Adolescents, and, more recently, Adolescent Girls in Crisis: Intervention and Hope. Dr. Straus conducts workshops internationally.