Lunch and Learn with The Art Station: Beyond the "I Don't Know"

A Lunch and Learn CEU: Beyond the "I Don't Know" : Creative Strategies for Working with Resistant Adolescents and Teens Beyond “I Don’t Know: Creative Strategies for Working with Resistant Adolescents & Teens is an experiential Lunch & Learn designed for mental health professionals who work with adolescents who present as guarded, withdrawn, unmotivated, oppositional, disengaged, or reluctant to participate in therapy. Adolescents may enter therapy because of a parent, school, court, or another outside referral rather than by personal choice. Statements such as “I don't know,” “I don't care,” “I'm fine,” or “I don't want to talk about it” may reflect more than simple resistance. They can communicate discomfort, lack of trust, fear of judgment, difficulty identifying emotions, a desire for autonomy, previous negative experiences with adults, or uncertainty about what therapy is supposed to be. This experiential workshop explores how clinicians can move beyond compliance-based approaches and use creative interventions to increase autonomy, reduce pressure, and create alternative pathways for communication. Participants will experience developmentally appropriate art activities using drawing, collage, metaphor, humor, visual storytelling, and choice-based interventions. Participants are welcome to bring their lunch or can also choose to have boxed lunch for an addtional fee. There will be a separate email for luch orders sent out prior to the event for particpants to chosse their selections.