ABSTRACT
Assessment and intervention strategies for the presenting symptom issues of anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide are outlined in this chapter. The complexity of anxious experiencing and its origins are discussed. The presence of pressure within the therapeutic space in these situations is explored and a Gestalt framework for understanding and intervening with anxious adolescents is presented. In-depth case studies highlight the therapeutic nuances and challenges inherent where anxiety is present. The phenomenology of depression is defined, and the author discusses self-harm and suicide, viewing these as creative adjustments to adverse lifespace conditions. The reader is presented with an appreciation of adolescent suicide as potentially being a momentary wave of despair or a statement of transmarginal shame. Interventions to support struggling adolescents are identified and case vignettes further amplify the reader’s understanding and clinical knowledge.
