Sometimes Young Adults May Outgrow Adolescent Therapy
26August

Sometimes Young Adults May Outgrow Adolescent Therapy

Written by Debra Celani, Posted on , in Section Teens & Tweens

Doctors and therapist who treat behavioral problems in their pratice come in different shape and sizes, because their patients come is all shapes and sizes.  There are categories for therapies that treat people based on the kind of conditions they have, and there are categories based on the physical and mental development of those patient.  In other words, there is not a one-size-fits-all treatment that works on all people.  Young adults should be treated differently than adolescents or senior citizens.

Is One Therapy Right For All Ages?

Knowing when a therapy is no longer working or appropriate for a child or young adult is a difficult thing to know.  However, given the amount of change that occurs in the human brain during adolescence and the teenage years, it is very important to know that a change in therapy might be very helpful to your child's progress.  But of course, you must rely on and discuss your concerns with your child's therapist.  Most troubled youth programs have therapist trained in all levels of child development and can easily make appropriate suggestions.

For years it was believed that human brain development was set at an early age.  By the time teen years were reached the brain was thought to be largely finished.  However, scientist doing research with MRIs have mapped the brain from childhood to adulthood and have found data contrary to this belief.  In fact, the brain continues to change well into the 20s, with the frontal lobes, responsible for reasoning and problem solving, developing last.  So, some of that baffling behavior of your teenage children may not be raging hormones but the result of neurobiology.  Making sure your child's treatment is age and developmentally appropriate is an important aspect of their treatment.