Youth / Adolescents

The focus of my professional life for the past 14 years has been working with young people as a high school Physical Education and English teacher. The thousands of students I had the honour of instructing and coaching in the school system were my greatest teachers in learning how to provide authentic counselling to young people.

When working with young people, I first invite them to teach me about who they are. In this first session, many young people choose to share several personal stories about themselves that they feel best represent their identity. Other young people prefer that I help guide them through interesting and thoughtful questions. The goal of these initial conversations is for the young person to feel understood, valued and known for who they are. We also discover your “insider youth knowledge”, which tells us about your strengths, which you need to be encouraged to use. As I have learned through years of experience with youth, trust and therapeutic relationships are built when mutual authenticity is present from both adults and the young people they wish to help.

It is through an authentic, respectful partnership that the young person and I begin to discuss how the problems and dilemmas that brought them to counselling are adversely affecting their lives. I often suggest a variety of therapeutic activities, explaining each one’s purpose and possible outcomes. These include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness, Narrative therapy and Solution Focused Therapy. This gives the young person some choice in what they feel is right for them. One example is therapy that involves art, novels, music or movies that young people find especially important to them and help explore their emotional experience. Another example would be a personal identity project in which the young person explores their values and then sets process-oriented goals that will align their life with these values.

The circumstances of young people coming to counselling can vary greatly. Many young people prefer to do their counselling sessions in a one-on-one scenario with me. Others prefer to involve a parent / guardian, family member or trusted friend in the sessions for support. It is also the case that a young person and their parent / guardian may wish to do relational counselling together. All of these scenarios can be accommodated and planned prior to our first session.