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Adlerian-based responses for the mental health counselor to the challenging behaviors of teens

Updated: 12/5/2005

by Roger A. Ballou

The Adlerian concept of all behavior being purposeful and socially embedded offers a contextual backdrop for understanding the actions of teens. Dreikurs' explanation of the four mistaken goals of discouraged children, expanded by Walton to include the misbehavior of teens, offers the mental health counselor a starting point from which to speculate about problematic teen behavior. This article offers an overview of the Dreikurs scheme, its applicability to understanding teen behavior, and, through a case study, the method to be used by mental health counselors to speculate about the goal and purpose that undergird the teenager's undesirable actions.

Parents have said that the teen years can be bewildering. Parents use expressions such as "The hormones are flowing" and "What's gotten into my child?" both humorously and sincerely. Physiologically, psychologically, and socially, the "teen years" can be a dramatic and volatile bridge into adulthood.

On the one hand, newspaper and television shows frequently report the many and varied successes of teens (Grunwald & McAbee, 1999). Obviously, parents, teachers, and civic leaders celebrate the numerous and wonderful teen accomplishments as these young people move through high school and, for many, the college years. These teenagers are the citizens and leaders of the future, and their productivity in all areas of life benefits us all.

In contrast, police logs and school records also reveal the turbulence experienced during the teenage years when teens' attitudes and behaviors can seem counterproductive, unsettling, at times... [read on]

Keywords: troubled teens mental health counselor behavior