By Rich Simon It seems astonishing that even just two or three decades ago, parents not only pretty much knew what was expected of them to turn their offspring into civilized adults, but they could actually count on society to back them up. Even more astounding, kids seemed to understand this, too. Even if they rebelled against, yelled about, or sullenly resented how “unfair” adults were, they seemed to acknowledge adult authority and realize that they would just have to wait until they turned 18 to get for themselves the keys to the kingdom of grown-up independence.
NETWORKER EXCHANGETeenage Problems, Traumatic Childhoods and the Work of the Therapist in the Juvenile Justice SystemKen Hardy Talks about Creating Safety and Connecting with Teens in TroubleKen Hardy calls us to expand how we think about the connection among trauma, race, poverty and marginalization. In this recent conversation with Rich Simon, he shows us how he puts these ideas to work in ways that you’ll find surprising, powerful, and, at times, very moving. Ken illustrates how to translate broad ideas about the sociocultural context into interventions that shift the therapeutic process in ways that open up new possibilities for connection. Watch the clip below to see how he looks for what’s heroic and resourceful in the story of a tough young black man who others might find “resistant,” even menacing. Ken is part of our webcast series, The Latest Advances in Trauma Treatment, that re-launches on August 23rd. His interview demonstrates how to work with the most reluctant of therapy clients with respect, authenticity and a passionate belief in the possibility of healing. Free Resources on trauma and treatment for teenagers in trouble: Check out these two free articles co-authored by Ken Hardy from Psychotherapy Networker Magazine: “Creating a Zone of Safety and Connection for Angry Black Teens” and “When ‘Them’ Become ‘Us.’” Explore more in the Free Popular Topic Library where you’ll find 12 popular articles on Adolescents and Trauma including “The Logic of Self Injury: A Teen Symptom of Our Time” by Martha Straus and “Mission Possible: The Art of Engaging Tough Teens” by Matthew Selekman. Audio Courses available include Helping Adolescent Girls in Crisis by Martha Straus and Breaking Through to Teens by Ron Taffel. About Ken Hardy: Ken is the director of the Eikenberg Institute for Relationships and professor of family therapy at Drexel University. He’s co-authored two books— Teens Who Hurt: Clinical Interventions to Break the Cycle of Adolescent Violence and Revisioning Family Therapy: Race, Culture, and Gender in Clinical Practice. Comments |
I hope we hear more from Ken Hardy.
I forwarded this post to clinicians working with traumatized
teens in my agency i.e in foster care and residential care.