Coordinated Treatment of Adolescents and Their Parents: Working Together in Italy

Abstract

Treatment of late adolescents often centers around a severe crisis induced by the academic and professional choices made as pre-conditions for adulthood. In this phase, the parents’ recognition of their child’s specific characteristics exerts a great influence since adolescents may promote or stifle aspects of themselves that the parents appreciate or ignore. Often these aspects are due to representations that the parents have developed in their own individual experience and as marital partners. We recommend coordinated treatment in these cases to work through distorted representations of self and other. This article describes two such treatments, in which one therapist (Bernabei) works with the adolescent, and another (Pedroni) with the parents, and the two therapists coordinate with each other. The mutual aim of the therapists is to restore a clear sense of identity for each individual and concurrently offer a reliable framework to protect the family bonds and to support their transformation in the system.

Keywords:

• adolescence
• coordinated therapies
• expectation
• identification
• parents
• projection
• representation

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Marco Bernabei

Marco Bernabei, Ph.D., is a psychoanalyst; a faculty member at Instituto de Specializzazione in Psicologia Psicoanalitica del Sé e Psicoanalisa Relazionale (Isipsé); a member of IAPSP and IARPP’s Infant, Child & Adolescent Committee, and Ferenczi Association; and is in private practice in Rome and Florence with children, adolescents, parents, and adults.

Ingrid Pedroni

Ingrid Pedroni, Ph.D., is a psychologist, psychoanalyst, and family therapist; is a faculty member, supervisor, and former president (2005–2011) of Instituto de Specializzazione in Psicologia Psicoanalitica del Sé e Psicoanalisa Relazionale (Isipsé), Rome and Milan, Italy; member of IAPSP and IARPP; and in private practice with individuals, couples, families, and immigrants.