Work with parents is a generally accepted practice for children, whereas it is quite controversial for adolescents, since involving the parents is seen as something that might hinder the adolescent’s developmental tasks, first of all separation. The Authors – both psychoanalysts – hold the view that the major goal of development in adolescence involves transformation of the self and of the relationship with parents and that, without concomitant change in parents, it is extremely hard for adolescents to progress into adulthood. Hence they propose a method of intervention with the adolescent that involves concurrent work with parents and where individual therapy remains pivotal for treatment: the work with parents serving to support and promote it. The Authors rely on the developmental perspective of psychoanalysis, being convinced that the developmental approach is a crucial metapyschological dimension to apprehend personality, since every behaviour has a meaning and a history encompassing generations, parents, as well as their phantasies and beliefs about growth. Development can only occur within relationships and transformation is its key feature. Work with the adolescent is aimed to restore not only progressive development, but also the parent/child relationship. Work with parents resorts to the whole range of “therapeutic” techniques such as defence analysis, reconstruction, interpretation, transference and countertransference. The method and techniques of intervention are illustrated through the material gathered from treating five late adolescents, focusing in particular on the interaction between work with parents and individual therapy.
Il lavoro in contemporanea con i genitori di pazienti adolescenti / Banella, FABIA ELEONORA. - In: INFANZIA E ADOLESCENZA. - ISSN 1594-5146. - STAMPA. - 1:15(2016), pp. 56-86. [10.1710/2222.23966]
Il lavoro in contemporanea con i genitori di pazienti adolescenti
BANELLA, FABIA ELEONORA
2016
Abstract
Work with parents is a generally accepted practice for children, whereas it is quite controversial for adolescents, since involving the parents is seen as something that might hinder the adolescent’s developmental tasks, first of all separation. The Authors – both psychoanalysts – hold the view that the major goal of development in adolescence involves transformation of the self and of the relationship with parents and that, without concomitant change in parents, it is extremely hard for adolescents to progress into adulthood. Hence they propose a method of intervention with the adolescent that involves concurrent work with parents and where individual therapy remains pivotal for treatment: the work with parents serving to support and promote it. The Authors rely on the developmental perspective of psychoanalysis, being convinced that the developmental approach is a crucial metapyschological dimension to apprehend personality, since every behaviour has a meaning and a history encompassing generations, parents, as well as their phantasies and beliefs about growth. Development can only occur within relationships and transformation is its key feature. Work with the adolescent is aimed to restore not only progressive development, but also the parent/child relationship. Work with parents resorts to the whole range of “therapeutic” techniques such as defence analysis, reconstruction, interpretation, transference and countertransference. The method and techniques of intervention are illustrated through the material gathered from treating five late adolescents, focusing in particular on the interaction between work with parents and individual therapy.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.