Talking to Young People: A Guide to Navigating Resistance, Tears, and Silence in Therapy

Struggling to move past dead-end answers like "I don't know," "I'm fine," or heavy, uncomfortable silences in your sessions with younger clients?

Working with adolescents and young adults requires a completely different conversational toolkit. Traditional adult-oriented therapeutic questions can easily feel like an interrogation to a teenager, causing them to shut down, intellectualise, or joke their way out of vulnerable moments.

Talking to Young People is a practical, quick-reference guide designed for therapists, counsellors, youth workers, and trainees who want to break down client defences gently, reduce shame, and foster deep therapeutic engagement.

What’s Inside?

• How-To Implementation Guide: Essential tips on setting the right tone, scaffolding exploration, and normalising big emotions without forcing answers.
• Over 300 Youth-Adapted Prompts: Open-ended questions translated directly into accessible, non-threatening language that resonates with young people.
• Categorised by Clinical Scenarios: Jump straight to the exact section you need during or after a session:

• Deconstructing "I Don't Know"

• Working through heavy silences

• Navigating tears and intense emotional releases

• Unpacking "I'm Fine" and emotional minimisation

• Handling direct questions ("What would you do?")

• Reframing intellectualisation and overthinking

• Addressing deflection and joking about pain

• Managing constant apologies and people-pleasing

• Responding when a client says "Therapy isn't working"

• Supporting clients who say "I don't know why I'm here"

• Unsticking clients who struggle to name their emotions

• Finding value in "nothing happened this week" sessions

• Easing discomfort around eye contact

Perfect For:

• Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists
• School Counsellors and Educational Psychologists
• Youth Mentors and Social Workers
• Trainee Therapists building their clinical toolkit

Product Details:

• Format: Instant Digital Download (PDF)
• Language: English (UK spelling and grammar)
• Pages: Designed for quick scanning and easy digital or printed reference (25 pages)

Help your young clients feel heard, safe, and understood—even when they don't have the words.