Page 52 - Meeting with Children Book

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family is high, the task of self-development is
interrupted, making the adolescent journey difficult.

Use of Symbols and Metaphor in Meeting with
Adolescents

When meeting with adolescents in each of the above
groups, you will likely be met with relief if you provide
some activities that allow for distance from “here and
now” experiences. A straight interview can at times be
difficult for youth because it requires a focus on
answering particular questions about current life
situations or circumstances that may not feel
comfortable. An interviewer is in charge of the
direction of the interview and at this stage of
development, the adolescent may want more privacy
and space from internal and feelings of conflict, loss,
or sadness. Even questions about peers can set in
motion a level of distress. Everything is magnified at
this stage of development.

Although symbols and metaphors are the primary
language of younger children, the use of symbols and
metaphors allow all ages to bypass an analysis of