Leading From Behind: Episode 23 - Working with Children & Youth

Regardless of the therapeutic approach, working with children and youth can be very different from working in a helping role with adults. And this certainly holds true when using a solution focused approach. In this episode of Leading From Behind, we take a brief and very basic look at some of the general considerations for the solution focused therapist when working with children. In particular, we highlight the importance of seeing young people (including very young kids) as still having expertise about their own lives. We also note the importance of building a strong therapeutic alliance with this population, as without it, successful outcomes are often doomed. Finally, we highlight how creativity can be very important when using some of the common solution focused questions with younger clients.