I doubt I ever said this to my parents (because yes, I was a "goody two shoes" or whatever you want to call it), but I distinctly remember thinking these sort of snotty comments.
I'm lucky that I'm a bit younger than my coworkers at the hospital because somehow that allows the teens to be more open to trust me. I don't really understand this concept because I was that kid who loved hangout out with the adults but once again, I wasn't an entirely "normal" child. Moral of the story - it isn't too difficult for me to connect with the teens, but sometimes I need some extra guidance! Here are some tips I've learned to be better prepared to relate to my adolescent patients:
1) Give Them a Sense of Control - I know this sounds like a recipe for disaster but you don't have to give them ALL the control, just a SENSE of control. Realistically teens don't have much freedom or control over their lives...depending on the parenting style of course. But it's common for adolescents to just want to do whatever they want and they typically struggle with considering potential consequences beforehand. And we all know that leaving these teens to their own devices would be utter chaos. However when I work with my teens, although they are Baker Acted and required to be in the hospital, I do my best to give them some leeway or choices they can make regarding their treatment. For example, I usually bring two different activities to group and give the teens a choice between the two. Between you and me, I realistically don't give them much control but a little goes a long way!
2) Make Sure They are Well Informed - This holds true for any client, minor or adult, however I believe it is particularly important for teens. Providing information is another action that provides them with a sense of control. Many of my teens were brought against their will and weren't even told beforehand what would happen. Make sure your teens know why they are receiving treatment, what sorts of sessions and activities they will have to participate in, what progress may or may not look like, allow them to ask questions, etc. In general, information gathering helps reduce anxiety or fear of the unknown in any patient.
3) Get on Their Level - This one is my all time favorite and not to toot my own horn, but I'm wonderful at it. My key way to get a teen to open up to me is to make connections that make sense to them. If I need to talk about boy bands, super heroes, punk rock music, rap music, young adult novels, or Disney, I will do it! Lucky for me, I have a lot of similar interests of 15 year olds, which gives me a clear advantage. Teens love to talk about things that they like and if you're able to hone in on that, you're golden. Plus they will see you as "cool," which makes me feel pretty good about myself.
4) Establish Authority - Ok fine, this is the one I kind of suck at. I like to be well liked and sometimes that holds me back from laying down the law when necessary. Basically it takes a firm authority who teens see as slightly intimidating but can also be chill and approachable at the appropriate times. I still haven't figured out how to be that person but I'll let you know once I get a clue.
5) Be Real! - This one is the easiest! People can tell when you are being disingenuous. With teens, it's all about maintaining an appropriate level of professionalism while also not taking yourself too seriously. Because if you get too stuffy they will just want to tell you to take a chill pill like Lizzie McGuire.
Here's a super fun prezi I had to create with these tips for class. I had too much fun searching for the perfect pictures so enjoy!
http://prezi.com/gydrqubnzntm/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy
No comments:
Post a Comment