Psychodynamic psychotherapy for adolescents

Adolescence is a period of transformation from childhood and preparation for adulthood. It involves changes in every facet of a young person's emotional and interactional life. Psychodynamic theoreticians have extensively described the developmental changes that characterize this phase as well as the possibilities for growth and change facilitated by psychotherapy. Psychodynamic psychotherapy is widely practiced, and there is accumulating research evidence that supports its effectiveness for a range of adolescent disorders. This chapter presents adolescent psychodynamic psychotherapy from theoretical, clinical, and research perspectives. The first section of the chapter provides a brief overview of psychodynamic theories of adolescence, from the early days of psychoanalysis to more contemporary views. The second section of the chapter describes psychodynamic psychotherapy with adolescents in practice. The third section of the chapter reviews recent findings from psychodynamic psychotherapy research on adolescents. The fourth section of the chapter includes a short case illustration, which describes the process of change of one adolescent in psychodynamic psychotherapy.