Positive events in psychotherapy: What do adolescents and young adults say is helpful?

TL;DR

This study explores what adolescents and young adults find helpful in therapy, identifying key factors that support their engagement and progress.

Contribution

The study provides novel insights into positive events in therapy from the perspective of adolescents and young adults.

Findings

Six primary domains of positive events were identified, including therapist-client collaboration and goal setting.

Adolescent therapy requires attention to family and environmental factors due to their changing needs.

Positive events in therapy for this age group share similarities with adult therapy but have unique considerations.

Abstract

The significant challenge in adolescent and young adult therapy lies in the fact that research in this field does not provide many clinical indications. This study addresses domains contributing to the establishment and sustenance of engagement, satisfaction, and progress among adolescents and young adults in their treatment by delving into the impact of events that, from the perspective of clients, have positively influenced their therapeutic process.

Employing a qualitative research approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 adolescents and young adults undergoing therapy, recounting positive and constructive events during their treatment.

A structured thematic analysis revealed six primary domains of positive events: events linked to the management of the setting, events shaping the definition of therapy goals, occurrences tied to the therapist’s active role, collaborative events between therapists and clients, and events associated with both clients’ external and internal worlds.

The findings suggest that working with adolescents shares similarities with psychotherapy involving adult clients but demands specific attention to adolescents and young adults’ families, surrounding environment, and rapidly changing needs.