The Thriving Adolescent: Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Positive Psychology to Help Teens Manage Emotions, Achieve Goals, and Build Connection

by Louise L. Hayes, Joseph V. Ciarrochi, Steven C. Hayes (Foreword)

Adolescents face unique pressures and worries. Will they pass high school? Should they go to college? Will they find love? And what ways do they want to act in the world? The uncertainty surrounding the future can be overwhelming. Sadly, and all too often, if things don’t go smoothly, adolescents will begin labeling themselves as losers, unpopular, unattractive, weird, or dumb. And, let’s not forget the ubiquitous ‘not good enough’ story that often begins during these formative years. These labels are often carried forward throughout life. So what can you do, now, to help lighten this lifelong burden?

The Thriving Adolescent offers teachers, counselors, and mental health professionals powerful techniques for working with adolescents. Based in proven- effective acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), the skills and tips outlined in this book will help adolescents and teens manage difficult emotions, connect with their values, achieve mindfulness and vitality, and develop positive relationships with friends and family. The evidence-based practices in this book focus on developing a strong sense of self, and will give adolescents the confidence they need to make that difficult transition into adulthood.

Whether it’s school, family, or friend related, adolescents experience a profound level of stress, and often they lack the psychological tools to deal with stress in productive ways. The skills we impart to them now will help set the stage for a happy, healthy adulthood. If you work with adolescents or teens, this is a must-have addition to your professional library.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

224 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2015

Reviews

[Gus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a practical and helpful guide for applying ACT principles in therapy with adolescents in a developmentally appropriate manner. The layout of some chapters seemed a bit confusing, but the content was good and the writing was generally clear. The DNA-V model is straightforward, although some teens I work with can find some of the abstract principles more difficult to grasp. Luckily this book provides plenty of concrete metaphors and examples to assist users as they work using this model. I would recommend this for anyone looking to apply ACT therapy with youth.

[Koa Whittingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book. The DNA-V model is a whole new way of thinking about and doing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Time has been taken here to develop, from the ground up, an approach and language that is developmentally appropriate. That is so rarely done and it is done here! Although this book is focussed on adolescents, the approach is suitable for children as well and can even be used with parents. This book is suitable for professionals who are already familiar with ACT and for professionals who are new to it. If you are an ACT therapist or you work regularly with teens or children, supporting their mental health and flourishing, then this book should be on your bookshelf. It is that simple.

[Selen Ozbek · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to adapt ACT for teenagers with solid use of metaphors and conceptualized processes for practical interventions; highly recommended! Thanks to Louise for being the guiding star of DNA-v.

[Alise · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has great exercises but the DNA-V approach seems a little difficult for some adolescents. It requires a lot of immediate expression and introspection for most of the examples and exercises. I feel like I would use this more with adults and a more traditional ACT approach with adolescents.

[Tom Wierzbinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful tools provided as a practitioner.

[Camille Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!