Enhancing Motivation and Engagement With Youth (Archived)

Tweens and teens do not often initiate therapy but are referred to treatment by their parents, school counselors, psychiatrists, or pediatricians. It’s critical that tweens and teens “buy-in” and be a collaborative and proactive partner in treatment. Dr. Mary Alvord provides a framework for psychologists to enhance motivation for change among youth who are stuck in their patterns of avoidance, perhaps due to anxiety, depression, or other challenges. She discusses how transtheoretical stages of change, motivational interviewing, values assessment, and the process of tolerating discomfort boost motivation for change and set the groundwork for behavioral techniques (e.g., exposure and behavioral activation). Dr. Alvord’s emphasis is on providing strategies and “tools” for practice through case examples.