Overcoming Deadlocked Conflicts Between Teens and Parents: A Resilience-Based Model for Family Intervention

Abstract

Although parent–teen conflict often exemplifies typical adolescent development, it can become polarizing and deadlock family counseling efforts to resolve it. A family resilience perspective can provide a positive method for overcoming this family impasse. This article proposes a model for using resilience-based family interventions to resolve parent–teen conflict. It explains how the characteristics of parent–teen conflict, resilience concepts, and a resilience framework for family intervention suggest effective methods for assessment, goal formation, and intervention for parent–teen conflict. Family counseling examples are presented to illustrate the model's use.

Keywords:

• adolescent
• family resilience
• family therapy
• parent
• parent–child relationship

Notes

¹This description changes names and identifying information of a family who received counseling from the author.

²This case description combines characteristics of several families who received counseling from the author.