ABSTRACT
This chapter will examine group therapy as a powerful intervention for teenagers suffering from depression. The author will explore the function of developmental depression in adolescence and its role in shepherding teens through this dramatic, transformational stage of development. The chapter will also examine the conditions that give rise to more serious atypical depression in adolescence, which results from extreme levels of psychological and emotional distress. Though depressive symptoms vary in severity and complexity, group therapy’s focus on community, interpersonal relationships, and emotional support has the potential to offer hope to depressed and isolated teenagers, particularly when group leaders incorporate creativity and other arts-based approaches (Haen & Weil, 2010). Effective group leadership with this population consists of five essential components: symbolic communication , an object-oriented approach , humor , modeling , and flexibility .
