A teenager’s experience requires serious attention, but adolescent autonomy is not a substitute for assessing the relationship, the circumstances of refusal, the conduct of adults, and any governing order.
How will my teenager be heard?
Dr. Washam seeks to understand the teenager’s own account and explain the clinical process in developmentally appropriate language. A young person should know how concerns can be expressed without being asked to endorse either parent’s narrative.
A first meeting should be an opportunity to understand, not a demand that the teenager adopt an adult’s explanation of what happened.
Listening without making the teenager choose sides
An adolescent may be angry, hurt, fearful, or caught between divided loyalties. Effective treatment considers those feelings alongside the actual history of the parent-child relationship and the adult environment.
Dr. Washam considers emotional development, present safety, and the family circumstances in deciding what contact or treatment steps may be appropriate.
What if the teenager refuses therapy?
Clarify what “refusal” means in the particular case. A teenager may oppose joint meetings, fear disclosure, distrust the clinician, or feel pressured by conflict between adults. Each concern requires a different response.
If an order governs participation, ask counsel about its requirements. Ask the clinician separately about the proposed clinical response. Do not assume one answer resolves both issues.
What about privacy?
Ask how privacy will be explained to the teenager and the adults, including the limits of any separate conversation. Clarify records and information sharing before making promises about secrecy.
When court involvement is present, those questions deserve particular attention. The answer should reflect the actual engagement.
How can I prepare for a consultation?
Prepare your questions and a factual description of current contact. Tell the practice about existing providers and relevant orders. Ask for guidance on explaining a possible appointment before presenting a definite plan to your child.
The initial inquiry clarifies whether the practice can consider the case. It does not promise that a teenager will agree to participate or that contact will resume immediately.
Sources & further reading
Dr. Charles W. Washam: Professional Statement of Qualifications and Methodology
AFCC and NCJFCJ: Joint Statement on Parent-Child Contact Problems (2022)AFCC: Guidelines for Court-Involved Therapy (2010)Amy J. L. Baker and Paul R. Fine: Surviving Parental Alienation: A Journey of Hope and Healing (2014)