F. J.

Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techbniques 1

· ··· · 7rJStiategies &

- - - - - -- - -- - - -- -- -

Techniques for Counseling

· Difficult, Defiant
Adolescents

Fred J. Hanna, Ph.D.

Johns Hopkins University
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 2

7 Precursors of Change
PRECURSORS ASSESSMENT FORM
. ---: ::::::N:u·~'-' - ---- -'1;-i:~e --- - · O:..:en:i®~~1i~qtia~ ~oim.dant~
(0) (1) (2) (3) (4)

1. Sense ofNecessity
expresses desire for change
feels a sense of urgency
2. Ready for Anxiety
openness to experience
likely to take risks
3. Awareness
.able to identify problems
identifies thoughts, feelings

4. Confronting the Problem

courageously faces problems
sustained attention to issues
5. Effort Toward Change
eagerly does homework
high energy; active cooperation
6. Hope for Change
positive outlook; open to future;
high coping; therapeutic humor
7. Social Support for Change
wide network of friends, family
strong therapeutic relationship

Total Score -
Scoring Guide* L
0-6: Change is unlikely: Educate client on change; Focus on all precursors
7-14: Change limited & slow: Educate client and focus on lowest ratings.
15-21: Change is steady and noticeable: Use the lowest rated to stay on track.
22-28 Flighly motivated: Change occurs easily: Almost any approach works well.
*Scoring is intend_ed only as a general guide.
Hanna, F. J. (2002) . Therany with difficult clients: Using the precursors model to
awaken change. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 3

Precursors of Change
1. A sense of necessity is a recognized urgency or need that requires that
charJ.ge take.place ... ~t: ~o11siders th<3_t ~hang~j~_:imporlapt ':!nr:J that___::__~U.!.:!~t -~---- _-....- - ----··--
-·· - -- ---- .... --- 'colliirt:ionl:nfrenot at all-salisfactory aridmust give way to a different set of
circumstances.

2. A willingness or readiness to experience allxiety or difficulty is the

simple surrender to the change process. It is the recognition that one will be
willing to feel the discomfort that comes with change. Defensiveness is
usually defined as an attempt to avoid anxiety. This precursor is the
diametric opposite. Here, anxiety is directly felt.

3. Awareness is essentially knowing that a problem exists and having a

good sense of what that problem or issue is. Awareness is the opposite of
denial. Without it a person has no idea where to direct his or her resources
toward change.

4. Confronting the problem is the culmination of awareness but is not

the same. This is the steady and deliberate attending to and observing of
anything intimidating, painful, or confusing. It is looking at the problem dead
in the face, and continuing to look; in spite of the tendency to avoid, act out,
or otherwise escape it.

5. Effort or will is the precursor that indicates action engaged and taken
to actually solve the problem. It is the actual expending of energy as well as
movement taken. It also involves the will, in the sense of commitment and
decision to change.

6. Hope is the realistic expectation that change will occur. It is not wishing,
longing, desiring, or yearning. Hope sees possibility of change, and motivates
a person, knowing that change can be accomplished.

7. Social Support consists of confiding, supportive relationships that are

dedicated to the well being of the person. These make the change process
much more tolerable and can inspire each ofthe precursors.
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techlmiques 4

53 Relationship Strategies for

Counseling Difficult Adolescents
----·
Research has demonstrated that the therapeutic relationship is the single
most important aspect of counseling and therapy. I have found that it is
even more crucial when counseling difficult adolescents. The following 50+
strategies form a comprehensive list of approaches to form working
relationships with defiant, aggressive adolescents. The key indicator of a
empathic, successfulrelationship is when the client feels understood.
Techniques can work only when the relationship is established. The following
relationship strategies are divided into three categories: Reaching, Accepting,
and Relating. These strategies are applicable in both individual and group
settings. These strategies can also be found in the following journal:

Hanna, F. J., Hanna, C. A., & Keys , 8. G. (1999) . Fifty strategies for
counseling defiant and aggressive adolescents: Reaching, accepting,
and relating. Journal of Counseling and Development. 77(4), 395-404.

Reaching Difficult Adolescents

1. Offer something to 'mun.ch on. A snack will often get teenagers talking
in spite of their best efforts to avoid you, and providing food can also impart a
sense of nurturance .

2. Avoid a "deskside manner'' in counseling. Face the person squarely

without putting a desk in the way. Staying behind your desk will immediately
put off some adolescents, making them view you as just another symbol of
authority to mess with.

3. Be familiar with music that adolescents like. This might be painful

for some but it often opens doors to conversations that may not take place
otherwise. Eventually, a client can talk about the influence the music has
and how it makes him or her think and act, both positively or negatively.
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 5

4. Allow the person to draw or otherwise keep their hands busy while
talking. Do not insist on eye contact. Many kids self-disclose more easily
when their hands are busy drawing or working with clay.
·- -·.
5. Get out of the office when possible. This is often true in general, but
especially true when you have that dreaded kid who just absolutely and
steadfastly refuses to talk to you. Sometimes taking a walk around the
school or down a hall can be just enough to break the ice.

6. Be genuine and unpretentious. Well, sure, but it's still easier said than
done. We have known for decades that adolescents can spot a phony adult
with amazing ease and accuracy. And, of course, the adult doesn't usually
have a clue. If you are genuine, youthful, and spontaneous in your demeanor
and way ofbeing, adolescents willbe drawn to you.

7. Show respect in abundance. _Some kids will literally seriously injure or

kill for the lack of respect. Listening closely and reflecting feelings and
meanings will demonstrate respect. That's the easy part. One should also
show respect -
even when the person is angry, spiteful,..
and otherwise acting
out. That is also necessary but much more difficult. Beyond respect is
admiration. You can find something to admire in almost any client.
Adolescents respond to this readily.

8. A sense of humor is cannot be underestimated when working with

adolescents. However, avoid humor that demeans others or is bitter or
hostile. If you can get an adolescent to laugh, trust is often soon to follow. It
is strange but true that adolescents are often quick to confide in someone
who they think is funny.

9. Part of a therapeutic sense of humor is to be able to laugh at

yourself. If you don't take yourself seriously, a defiant or difficult adolescent
will be that much less inclined to try to irritate you take you down a notch or
two. You will often seem more "real" to them as well.

10. Educate the client about counseling. A standard action in counseling

- - ---------~---
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 6

sessions with adolescents is to make sure they know what counseling is for
and how it can help them. Also, it is important to explain how people change
and how they come to feel better.
-- ----· -·-
. -- -·--------- --. -- IT. ·AvoidlJeii:ig a symbol of authority. If you insist on taking a "one-up"
stance with an adolescent, they perceive you as playing a power game.
Counseling will be instantly sabotaged. Similarly, if you present yourself as a
disciplinarian, your counseling effectiveness becomes diminished to that
degree, even if the adolescent obeys you.

12. Avoid being the expert on the child's problems. If a counselor

comes across as the final authority, the adolescent will see him or her as just
another adult know-it-all. Know-it-ails also irritate adults. It is not at all
surprising that they irritate adolescents as well.

13. Avoid asserting one's credentials. Defiant, aggressive adolescents

are generally not at all impressed with credentials and degrees. If you brag
about your master's or doctoral degree, or years of experience, as part of
trying to counsel adolescents, you may be on your way to losing them. I have
heard adolescents secretly ridicule such a counselor.

14. Focus on the "eye behind the eye": Adolescents want to feel
understood and seem to greatly appreciate someone who can do so. Thus, it
is best to avoid thinking in clinical labels and concentrate on the person. The
"I" behind the eye" is an expression used by Eugene Gendlin to describe the
authentic self of the individual. Recognizing this is the key to establishing a
connection.

15. Always be fair but do not be manipulated by your good intentions.

Counselors are generally fine people who strive to be fair with people.
Sometimes manipulative clients will play on that by saying ''You're not fair."
A good response? ''We are not so interested in what's fair. We care about
what's therapeutic." This will often inspire the adolescent to find out what
that means, sometimes opening the door to a teachable moment.
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 7

16. Courtesy and permission. Avoid direct imposing questions, as these

simply invit e discomfort and defensiveness. Prepare the client for a tough,
anxiety-provoking question by preparing: "Can I ask you a question?"
·-- ·•···· ·--
."----------- · · ----,~yr- u~e a:··variety oi~ema to :~~; i~~~~~- t~ })~-ili~~io~~d.. ri~awing,
games, and family sculptures are just a few of the means of getting issues to
emerge. One of my colleagues has found that using collage can more readily
lead to disclosure by adolescent girls.

18. Use the concentric circles technique to gauge the closeness of a

relationship. Wondering how much a client has ''let you in"? Use Arnold
Lazarus's technique of concentric circles. Draw 7 circles, placing each one
inside the next, and number them from 1 at the center, to 7 at the perimeter.
Inform your client that circle #1 is the center of his or her most personal
information, while circle five is what everyone knows about him or her. Ask
your client which circle you he or she has allowed you to enter.

19. Avoid aiming only for insight. Some clients do not have the cognitive
capacity to readily achieve insights from counseling. Behavior change is the
goal for these persons. Some counselors mistakenly think that insight is
necessary for behavior change. Often, the exact opposite is true. Change the
behavior first and the insights come later.

20. Admire the person's skills, however negative or misguided. If an

adolescent is manipulative, admire it as a skill and get them to brag about
how well it works for them. If the person is intimidating, admire them for it
and ask how, and from whom they learned to be that way. Find out what
these skills do for the person and then apply them positively.

21. Avoid resisting a client's resistance. Welcome and accommodate it,

and reflect the feelings involved with his or her resistance. Ask, ''What's it
like to have to talk to someone when you just don't feel like it?" At times, you
can even encourage the person to make the resistance even more intense.
This paradoxical approach will show that you can accept the person for who
they are, rather than what they tell you. Treat resistance as a free choice.
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 8

Strategies for Accepting Difficult Adolescents

22. ,S~tthe :hound~.e~-4lcc~:tabl~eha¥~tl~:;y:pu=m:ay .. ·

···--- - -:-·c~·--i{~~er li'ear.\)Iie, tfll.~~ts ():f~~ie~~~ - ~hocldn~t be tolerated under any
circumstances. It is a mistake to compromise on this point. Investigate
hidden or veiled threats as well. Do not pretend that nothing was said.

23. Avoid power struggles. Nobody wins and counseling is not taking
place at all when power struggles. occur. The most important point here is to
call the game faster than the client can reset it. The client's game is to win
control whereas the counselor's challenge is to identify the client'.s game. Let
the client know that you know what is happening without trying to control
him or her, or impose discipline.

24. Avoid demanding that the counselor be respected. __Counselors

often tell adolescents that being respected is not that important. Then those
same counselors sometimes get angry when an adolescent disrespects them.
To a client, this is hypocrisy pure and simple. Model how to handle
disrespect, joking about it without being sidetracked. This takes some
practice but is highly effective.

25. Calmly acknowledge flaming anger and hostility. Reflect these

feelings just like you would any others. Do not tell an angry acting out client
to calm down or relax. This only seldom works. Try reflecting the feeling by
saying, ''Wow. You are really angry." This will calm a client down much more
than telling them to "chill."

26. Validate the client's perception of adults. Adolescents often have

surprisingly clear perception of adults, seeing their issues and buttons with
amazing accuracy. Dysfunctional families often discourage this perception in .
children. It is important to accept and explore these perceptions. Although
not always perfect, and often filtered through resentment and hurt, there is
enough accuracy of perception to refme and hone as a valuable life skill.
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 9

27. Be open to transference phenomena. Clients will often begin to treat

the counselor as a significant other. It is a trap to then begin to act like one.
Realize that adolescents' starved for parental attention will look to a
counselor as a substitute. Unfortunately, a counselor cannot replace a
- - _ -__ -_- ------ -_-:-:__=_ : =pax~G::~I-a.:n&='lcy. ·- m'O"=S-9"1£~-e~e:Fup-:t=fl€ {;ilerit for--a=fall.- -
Sometimes, just after a great session, a client will come back next time and
blast the bewildered counselor. Just ask, "I know I haven't hurt you, who are
you really mad at?" Or say, "I'm curious. Is this how you talk to your
parents when you are at home."

28. Treat verbal attacks with equanimity. Learn equanimity. Become

immune t o verbal insults by aggressive adolescents. Be able to take it
calmly and coaly. As~ if there is more they wanted to say. If the insult was
well done, give them credit for it. If you don't react, you serve as a model for
them.

29. Recognize countertransference. Research has shown that the

difference between an effective and a merely mediocre counselor lies in how
he or she manages countertransference. If you find yourself getting angry,
upset, or conversely, overly caring or enmeshed with a client, you are
manifesting countertransference. It is quite okay to experience these
feelings, but quite unproductive to act them out.

30. Do not confuse caring and empathy. These are not the same. An
overprotective mother or father can, through their worries and fears, inhibit
the development and growth of their children. They certainly care but they
may be lacking in empathy. Simple rule: If the child does not feel understood
then empathy is not present. If empathy is not present then counseling will
not be successful. The point? Empathy can be developed and further
increased by counselors. It is not a static commodity but something fluid and
dynamic, that increases with personal development, wisdom, and
understanding.
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 10

Strategies for Relating to Difficult Adolescents

31. Admit when one is confused or uninformed . If you feel that a client
-___~___-__ _-__-___-__ -~.. :_,____;
.- _ ·I.O--~~~-t#~~~WBK~l:i~~~~~J1::fi-a~-e~#a~!li~~!':-#~o~~;r;e_,,- _ _
--··
confused about something, ask to be filled in. Kids are usually quite willing to
explain things/about their culture, unless of course, the information is related
to their illegal activities.

32. Expect a crisis to occur. With adolescents who are at-risk and from
dysfunctional families, crisis seems to be a routine part oflife. It often occurs
just when you think you are beginning to make significant progress. All too
often, the crisis itself is not an accident but a diversion r-esulting from the
anxiety that comes with change. Certainly handle the crisis first, but don't
forget to explore what was going on in the person's mind just before it arose.

33. Tell stories of youth in similar situations. This is a good way to build
hope in a Client that feels despair. Clients will sometimes ask about the
youth in these stories months later.

34. Let clients know how much you have learned from them.
Counseling is not a one-way proposition. Clients often teach us about
ourselves or give us insight into our own unresolved issues from adolescence.
Acknowledge this and thank them for it. It sometimes causes an
adolescent's jaw to drop and does wonders for the relationship.

35 . Stay in touch with one's own adolescence. One of the assignments I

give in my Counseling Adolescents course is for students to write down at
least three of their own unresolved adolescent issues. But there's more to
this point. Staying in touch also means that it is a mistake to lose that
essential enthusiasm about life- to maintain that sense of aliveness and
growth. Adults who appear half-dead are exactly the kinds of persons that
adolescents do not want to be like.
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 11

36. If another counselor has better rapport with a client, switch.

Counselors should avoid being all things to all clients. That is the job of
dishonest politicians. If you see that the adolescent you have been struggling
- - -_-_____- _-__ ---c ==-~~:r;-k:wsl:~-J:i~-l!~~~'J:c'P:emiucttv-a-,-reJ:ati:nns-hipc:w±'fh::an-otne:r=ColinsBler:
__ =-=
-

Switch. The client, as well as the school or agency, is better served. There is
no place for an ego when doing counseling.

37. Sound bites are preferable to paragraphs when making a point.

Avoid long-winded explanations of concepts or ideas. This too often ends up
being confusing. To an adolescent, who typically has a short attention span
anyway, long explanations are horribly boring . .Practice packing your
message into one sentence, or two at the maximum. This really pays. You
can even make posters of some of your better compositions.

38. Recognize the limits of counselor self-disclosure. Counselor self-

disclosure can be very helpfulin establishing relationships. However, there
are some essential rules. The first rule is to not share anything that you do
not want repeated. Second, do not.share anything that you have not worked
through yourself. Negative consequences of considerable magnitude can
result from violating these two simple rules.

39. Do not compromise empathy by too much caring: As I mentioned

earlier, caring and empathy are not the same. An unfortunate consequence
of enmeshed caring is when empathy degrades into sympathy. The tragic
stories of some adolescents are so discouraging, disheartening that they can
actually impair a counselor who feels so outraged and so dismayed that
effective empathy (feeling with) convolutes into ineffective sympathy (feeling
for). This is a ticket to burnout.

40. Develop a therapeutic peer culture. Counselors cannot do

everything. It is of great benefit to train adolescents to help each other. This
can be done in a ''helping others group," or any other group. When kids learn
to help others it increases their sense of self-worth.

41. With gang members acknowledge the gang's therapeutic

 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techlmiques 12

benefits. Avoid condemning, implicitly or explicitly, gang involvement. Irvin

Yalom has identified several therapeutic factors in group counseling and
therapy. Gangs possess several of these factors-group cohesiveness,
. - cathar..s~4uai~"Sali~X>3:Utame=ad'-ew~_g:=:rp;~P£b!iilr:s · w_ill~b:e::m:or-e~J.Ikcely-
·-:=: --,-·--·-=::-:c·-·c·to op~;-~p~d ~;n.fici~--i; y~~iiyo~- ~~~~~ciate this simple fact.

42. Address existential issues whenever possible. Death, isolation,

meaninglessness, and freedom are the primary existential issues relevant to
adolescents. Many defiant, aggressive adolescents are actively grappling
with such issues. Examples are: the gang member who has witnessed
senseless, meaningless violence toward loved ones, or the adolescent who has
experienced isolation through being seen as "weird." Adolescents often
respond with great affective intensity to these issues.

43. Identify victimization no matter its source. When a client tells you
that a particular teacher, principal, counselor, probation officer, or whoever,
does not like him or her, listen closely. It may indeed be an actual case of
unfair treatment which amounts to victimization. The trick is to listen and
reflect without blindly agreeing with the client or siding with the authority
figure . Investigate and do what you can.

44. Identify racism and 'gender discrimination. A similar situation to

the above occurs when sexist, racist, or homophobic authority figures treat
adolescents in ways that are discriminatory. Bring up these issues whenever
appropriate. It is a mistake to shy away. Minority clients, for example will
be very sensitive to whether a counselor can empathize with his or her
struggles with race and equality. Often, minority clients perceive a counselor
more clearly than the counselor perceives them.

45. Do n ot underestimate the sexual intensity of many defiant

adolescents. Many adolescent boys have extremely strong sexuality. "When
female counselors attempt to demonstrate caring or nurturing through hugs
or other touching, many boys will take this sexually. Of course, the opposite
can be true for girls as well.
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 13

46. If the person is seeking attention, give it. ·Many counselors make the
mistake of refusing to give attention to an adolescent who constantly
demands it. First have the client acknowledge their need for attention, then
go ahead and freely give it, saying that one is doin Qxactl that. Process it .

4 7; Develop a naturally laid back, confrontative demeanor. Working

with difficult adolescents requires continual and constant confronting. If one
does so humorously and in a relaxed way, the process takes on a less serious,
condemning tone. If it becomes part of one's natural way ofbeing with
adolescents, clients are not surprised or put off when it happens. The real
mistake occurs when one confronts without empathy and caring.

48. Be alert to apathy, the defiant adolescent's central defense.

Rather than face up to one's emotional pain and inner hurt, it is a lot easier
for an adolescent to say, ''Whatever," or ''I don't care," or "It don't mean sh--,"
or "F..,-- it." This is the central defense mechanism of the adolescent.
Reframe such apathetic statements as attempts to avoid hurt or hassle or
difficulty. (See also the "Addressing Positive Subpersonality'' technique
described in the next section.)

49. Recognize the need for freedom and autonomy. Defiant

adolescents crave freedom and autonomy and will fight to preserve it. It is
generally productive to present scenarios as choices to the person, whether
that be a choice to get good grades or cut school altogether. This helps the
counselor to avoid being a threat to that person's freedom and therefore an
enemy and adversary. (See also the "Freedom Challenge" technique
discussed in the next section.)

51. Link clients with community mentors and helpers. Sometimes,

the most competent counseling cannot overcome the powerful forces for
dysfunction in the client's home environment. Hook a client up with churches,
mentors, AA, NA, Alateen, or any source that will provide a positive
reinforcement of the lessons learning in counseling. Arrange to be available to
the client long after the sessions end. Just knowing that you are there is a
tremendous source of support to these adolescents.
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 14

52. Handle parents with empathy and admiring negative behaviors.

The same approach that works so well with adolescents works remarkably
-.:;---~==w=el=l=W1=·=th
5:
- ,pa,rents.~-%~~t~~fll£l~-hc:pgrf}g_4s~:_l~=e:2'""'
. 1'£rr""""'.::.~
-- ~.---
-.--,-
:_- -=--- ~-:-::-::==~
-- sfat~-or i~plY"th-~tthe par-entdoe;;_~t c~;;- ~bout the child. Parents do care,
and often feel extremely guilty for their neglect or abuse of a child. To
broach
this area can be a major mistake. 2. Never state or imply that the parent is
a ''bad parent." Once again, this can provoke hostility and resistance of a
most recalcitrant variety. By admiring the negative behaviors and
acknowledging the stress a parent faces, one can make some progress. It is
also important to not allow a parent to pull you into your own issues and
buttons by their anger and lack of respect. If handled thus, a parent can
become a major ally and will help pave the road to therapeutic change. The
eventual goal is to have the parent empathize with the adolescent, and vice
versa.

53. Apologize if and whenever appropriate. Finally, if one says or does

something foolish, ill-advised, or just plain dumb with a client, an apology goes
a long way. I have had adolescents tell me that my apologizing to them
weeks earlier was the pivotal point in my gaining their respect.
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 15

17 Specific Techniques for Use

with Difficult Adole-sc"e nts ___~-- -- . ____ _
- ·_:. _ - ~ --·- .. - --- _-_:. -_.- .-: _·_ . . -- - -------- . ·- -- .: -- --- -~- _-- . - '· ------- --~- - --·'- --- ---- ..

These techniques are specifically designed to work with difficult adolescents

in counseling. I have arranged the techniques in the categories of (1)
motivating adolescents, (2) addressing blaming behaviors, (3) working with
and addressing and violent impulses, and (4) drug/alcohol abuse. These
reqUire skill and timing and should not be attempted without proper training
in counseling and/or psychotherapy. Nevertheless, the techniques can be
powerful tools to get clients on track and working in counseling. Like the 50
strategies, the following 15 techniques have.also been published and can be
explored in more detail in the following professional journal.

Hanna, F. J., & Hunt, W. P . (1999) . Techniques for psychotherapy with

defiant, aggressive adolescents. Psvchotheranv. 36(1), 56-68.

Techniques for Motivating Difficult Adolescents

1. Engage positive subpersonalities. This is a way of using the person's

inner resources to work toward change; When a client expresses apathy
about things such as grades or parents, with statements like, "I don't care,"
or ''"Whatever," or "It don't mean sh--," or "F---it," or ''Who gives a f---," try
this. Acknowledge the apathy and fully accept it. Then ask the person, "I
know you really don't care, but is there a small part of you that worries what
is going to happen to you-a little part ofyou that does care?'' Often the
adolescent will nod affirmatively. If so, ask what percentage of their entire
attitude is made up by that small part. You will hear answers ranging from
5% all the way to 40%. Then ask, "Can I talk to that part of you that does
care?'' This approach can change the entire tone of the conversation and the
counseling process itself.
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 16

2. The ''real self, fake self'' exercise can be highly revealing to an

adolescent. It can be used to show that the adolescent is being phony or fake,
and avoiding their real self. The technique produces cognitive dissonance and
often im;pires the client to re;;o];g§i± J±J~,ggn~~-a~~':£Olix.fl1L!OS- OIF8: .· ---·
. . pf~~e: ofp~p~i, \)ne laoel~~f''faise . seif' an:cith~- ~th;; as "real self." In the false
self column write answers to the question, ''What do you want others to
I .
believe about you?" From boys for example, one will hear, ''Nothing hurts
me" or "I can kick anybody's ass." In the real self column, done after the
false self column is completed, are answers to the question, ''What is really
true about you, that you don't want anyone to know about?" In this column
you get the truth.

3. Reframe counseling itself in a way that makes it seem attractive or

motivating a client, so that he or she will want to explore it or check it
out. Here are some possible reframes to use as appropriate, depending on
the client's needs and personal characteristics.
a) Gaining awareness can be reframed as acquiring what the cool
people already have, that knack ofbeing on top of things, or ''knowing
what's goin' down." That is what awareness is all about, after all, a.11d
counseling can help a person acquire it.

b) Freedom can be gained through counseling. In .this case, it is

the real kind of freedom, freedom of mind and self.

c) Cou.D.seling, to benefit by it, requires more guts and courage

than just kicking someone's behind. It is the courage to look at
oneself and not run-away in fear.

d) The workout metaphor of ''no pain, no gain" is also true of

counseling. People will work out to exercise their bodies but the real
challenge is to work out with the mind and self.

e) Counseling is about not being afraid to find out the truth

about oneself. It is about being honest to the point where one stops
kidding or fooling oneself into being something phony or fake.
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 17

4. Certificates cab. be issued when a client does good work in counseling.

These are greatly valued but should only be given when great effort has been
exerted toward real change. I have seen even the most defiant and
-----==--- i;t
-a~~~~~:s,~gj~_c-errtrs=::wJrrik=llaiCI.cfilr--anii=t-r-Ba-sUTe"t-li:ese-·cenfficates . 'Tn.-e·
motivation comes in when other adolescents want to earn one, too!

5. Behavioral contracts can also be motivating to a person. These are a

signed agreement that a particular behavior will be engaged in for a realistic
period of time (such as studying or showing up for counseling), or not be
engaged in (such as drinking or suicide). They can be highly effective when
properly applied.

Addressing Those Irritating Blaming Behaviors

6. The Freedom Challenge can be used when a difficult adolescent is

loudly and insistently blaming someone else for wha:t was clearly their own
action. Remember that freedom is highly important to teenagers. For
example, the statement "Jimmy made me do it" can often drive parents,
teachers, and counselors to distraction. A response to this is politely saying,
''Well, it's too bad you don't have any freedom." Th~ a~olescent Will usually
deny this. The response to the denial is, "Jimmy insulted you and you went
out of control. At that moment, you gave up your freedom to Jimmy and he
now owns your behavior and thoughts." This approach causes considerable
cognitive dissonance. The challenge is to take back the freedom that one
gave away by not acting out. The lesson is that the adolescent is better
served by ''keeping your freedom."

7. The Self-Control Challenge is used as a variation of the above. Instead

of saying that adolescents have given up their freedom, one can politely say,
"Jimmy now controls you and your behavior. You are a puppet on his string.
He holds you in the palm of his hand. Is this what you want?" This will
similarly produce cognitive dissonance. The challenge is to take back control.
I have found that this alternative is sometimes more appropriate for early
adolescents, who have not yet been enamored by the freedom notion so
deeply valued in later teen years.
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 18

Techniques for Addr~s~ing Anger and.V~<:»_l:~~t _Jmp..L.JuuJ~~~~-~~-~~.---==_=:::'::::::::--::::::_ i

8. Undercut anger by a focus on the hurt. I have seen some of the most
difficult, intimidating, and defiant adolescents respond to this. Most
adolescents can talk about their anger indefinitely- with no change. They
wear it like a badge of honor. Instead of t~Iking on and on about a child's
anger, try asking .if they have been hurt. Most of the time they will respond
with a "yes." Ask if they think about it very often, and you will probably hear
that they do. Then ask how much of their life is controlled by the hurt and
resulting anger. Get a percentage if you can. Then ask if the anger would be
there if there was no hurt. Chances are, the person will say "none of it." The
goal is to reduce the hurt so as to reduce the anger that gets acted out. Ask
for and explore specific moments of hurt and how each affects current anger
pattems. This can be surprisingly helpful. Also, use the "match metap]Yor"
spoken of in the presentation.

9. Use Instant Reframes for shocking, angry statements that many

adolescents use to control adults and disrupt their thinking. The instant
reframe takes a bit of practice but is a wonderful skill to have once developed.
I find that I am never quite its master and am always striving to improve.
An example of an instant reframe is in the case of an adolescent who once
told me, '"You have a cat? I like to throw gas on them and set them on fire
and listen to them scream!" Rather than get upset, I responded by saying," L

Oh, I see. Do you do that to try to understand the pain that YQJJ feel inside?"
For this child, it was the right thing to say at the right time. We talked at
length about how he liked to cause pain to others because he had it inside of
him. There are many, many examples of how this technique can be used. It
requires being ready and prepared.

10. Externalizing Through the Use of Metaphor can be a powerful

technique to show how the adolescent does not necessarily have to identify
with his or her anger. In other words, the goal is for the person to realize, "I
have anger but I am not the anger itself. This technique uses metaphors to
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 19

describe nasty personality parts. For example, such metaphors as "the

monster" or "the gorilla" can be employed to put a name to that part of the
person that is full of an,ger, or is out_of co:rlt.rol, or wa_]J_tl?c::t-~A~~t.i;;l,~r-"S=:ftB-Pe-
..~---------------------~--=-::-
.colllrfsaywnen·one greetfa- client~ ."Ho~ the is gorillacioi.llg-today? ..
H~;~y~u
kept him in the cage?" Another metaphor that we have used in the same
way is that of the "wild man" or "wild woman." Once the client becomes
familiar with the metaphor, the gorilla or monster can be put in an empty
chair for the purpose of integration. The counselor can also ask to talk to the
gorilla or wild man directly. This approach can lead to some very interesting
results.

11. Therapeutic Button-Pushing. This is a technique that I designed

many years ago to work With kids who have explosive tempers. It is
extremely direct and makes use of several proven therapeutic principles such
as exposure and resolute perception. It has taught me that adolescents are
not only fascinated by their destructive impulse-s but are also afraid of them.
If a particular name or insult causes a client to react violently, that client is
a candidate for this technique. It is based on the metaphor of pushing a
button. If you push it often enough, eventually the button wears out. In this
technique, the behavior wears out as well. It is especially productive when
working with a client who is extremely sensitive to be "disrespected." It is
begun by asking the client if they are interested in trying an "experiment"
designed to bring his or her anger under control. The adolescent is then
instructed in the metaphor of pushing and wearing out a button. He or she is
then asked to provide a statement or gesture that is sure to push a button
and precipitate acting out. The adolescent is then instructed to be mindful
and aware ofwhat happens in the body, mind, and feelings as the counselor
repeats the statement or gesture, over and over again, processing as
necessary the button. Throughout the technique, the counselor processes
sensations, thoughts, internal self-talk, images, feelings, and impulses with
the client. Eventually, the button wears out and the person can calmly
experience the once disturbing phrase. It appears to be equally effective with
both boys and girls and works well in groups. However, this techniques should
not be done without consulting a supervisor or some kind of advanced
training.
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 20

12. Disengaging the Motor Controls is a technique that works well in

combination with therapeutic button-pushing. It's purpose is to help an
adolescent realize that violence is a subtle but automatized choice, not a
blind,he~pless reac:tion. In this tec::hnigue the~li~nt~s puttonj_s,p!IS!J,ed as-~_-
__ __-____ - _::-=
____-:-:_:--:::-:
_-=----=-=
-- =-- =-- =-
--_ -- --cC' above. i'iowevei~-~t11e~cil:e:nt18 ill-steaa as~e~rto - ob~erve h~w -the angei fs ---
affecting his or her impulse to strike back in a violent manner. Clients
consistently report a sequence to their violent acting out. It begins when the
button is pushed, and anger consumes one's awareness. This is followed by a
momentary blankness, followed in turn by an act of violence such as
punching, kicking or whatever. However, in between the consuming of
awareness and the blankness is a choice to give in to the anger and allowing it
to engage the motor controls of the body. This choice can be brought to the
forefront of awareness and can be rest ored to the conscious self-
determination of the individual. It is done by having the client mindfully trace
the anger and watch it build to the point of overwhelming one's thoughts and
consciousness. We know from research that mindful awareness defuses and
dismantles automatic 'behavior and thinking patterns. When these reactions
are deautomatized and brough to the level of choice, the behavior is no longer
habitually violent.

13. Resurrecting Empathy. Lack of empathy is one of the major

characteristics of antisocial and narcissistic personality disorders. In the
mindset of the criminal, empathy is an enemy more ominous and threat ening
than the police. If one feels a victim's pain, this will surely hinder one's
performance of criminal tasks. Thus, one of the prime requisites of being an
effective criminal is the ability to detach and feel no concern for the victim. r'

For many criminals, the killing or deadening of empathy is nota mere

happenstance but an actual skill that is learned in childhood, and both
practiced and reinforced by peers. Many conduct-disordered adolescents
have informed us that the mere mention of feeling bad for a victim causes
ridicule and mocking by fellows. Indeed, the objects of admiration for this
population, such as drug dealer s, muggers, and thieves , function as models
who are typically quite "cold" toward those that they hurt. There seems to be
an implicit directive in criminal circles that advises young boys to kill their
empathy so that it does not get in the way of their "work."
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 21

Many violent adolescents have informed us that they "used to feel bad" when
they hurt someone but that it no longer bothers them. We have found that
for many violent aggressive adolescents, an active inner campaign is
to
-~-~--~-~-=~ur=·_Rim-ak-en~somawlicei:e~etW-aen.=tfffi~ges =<>'fs~:a11a-eJ.ght,=tfi1it~€eit~ Ki11
any sense of empathy. The clinical approach is to address specific general
cognitions that are used to blunt sensitivity. Many of these dysfunctional
cognitions are on the order of, "F--- the whole world," or ''I don't care about
nothing," or "I hurt so everybody else should hurt." Another approach is to
shed light on negative self-talk used precisely. at the moment ofvictim.ization
of others. These cognitions are also used to deaden empathic or sympathetic
responses. Examples of such self-talk are, "He deserved it," or "People who
disrespect me deserve to die," or simply, "F--- him."

Once these cognitions are addressed and disputed (see Beck, 1976;
Meichenbaum, 1977), the client can begin to explore what happened to the
empathy and how to resurrect it. This can be done by using role plays, the
empty chair, and other techniques that allow clients to be placed in the
viewpoints of persons they have victimized so that an empathic process can
begin to unfold. An important point is to avoid moralizing and to allow the
client to make his or her own responsible choice as to whether to change
(Kierulff, 1988). An adolescent who redisco_vers his or her empathy begins to
recover a vital part ofhis or her humanity. Doing so in adolescence is much
easier than in adulthood, when it may be too late.

Techniques for Addressing Drug & Alcohol Abuse

14. Refram.e drug use as a means avoiding hurt. As in the earlier

technique of addressing the hurt instead of the anger, this same approach
can be used to address alcohol and drug use. When a child admits (and they
usually do rather easily) that they have been hurt, ask what effect the drugs
or alcohol has onthat same hurt. Ask if the drugs make the hurtgo away,
and if so, for how long. Ask if the inner hurt returns even more intensely, as it
often does. Indicate that counseling can have greater effect on reducing the
pain than the drugs and/or alcohol th~y are abusing.
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 22

15. Reframe drug use as an attempt to deal with the emptiness felt
deep inside. Existential emptiness is a feeling reported by boys and girls
-;.----~1~~~rme::t~s~~~-c~tEil"JnJ)·t_c te ,fitl=tl're, emptfuess:::.w:l:'EE~
.=a-,'-
_'n"""
-'-y-"-c--:p~=~t~w~
- '~
:EH!f
~=-""'lil
,...,
- _r=_.--=-,_--=-= - = -=---=- =--=-·
----=-=
sensation. Aggressive sexual behavior, reckless driving, and criminal risks
are other ways of dealing with the emptiness. Ask the adolescent, using
courtesy and permission, "Do you ever feel empty inside?" If the answer is
yes, ask what he or she does to get rid of the feeling. Inform that counseling
can help.

16. Reframe drug use in terms of loss of freedom and autonomy.

Once again, the defiant adolescent's urge toward freedom can be reframed
and redirected to work against drug use. This technique will not always work,
but may do so just often enough to keep in your tool box. The key here is
show how drugs and alcohol take over control of the body and mind. Usually
the adolescent will say that this is fun. However, when you point out how
drug use has gotten them into trouble, the drug use can be reframed from fun
into enslavement and giving up control and freedom. Make the point that
counseling can actually produce a better, more enduring freedom.

17. Externalizing through metaphor can also be done with the impulse or
craving for drugs and alcohol. Characterized initially as "that part of you
that likes to use," metaphors such as the ''lush" or the "fiend," can be utilized.
The metaphor can be spoken of casually and inquired about in such a way as
to avoid ''heavy questioning." For example, one can say, "Has the fiend
shown up recently? What do you do when you see it?" The metaphor can
also be treated as a subpersonality and possibly be confronted in the empty
chair. When clients see that this part of their personality is not necessarily
part of their real self, and that it is extemal to who they really are, they are
often motivated to diminish its control and power over them.
 F . J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 23

\ l

'' \-+wX t-.C·~ e;'_\_~:;:s ~-1,, c~.._~,.,-, ~-;-~f;"-1

'\ '-...._J

:tf'1\~
.__, . . _ ~. ~·~
' :-'-.f...._ ".~. . { . . • ~ I

Life Circles Technique of Arnold Lazarus . : ., ''w~r-e.~ -~oJ-6\• ,'c,,IJ,.I .•

Lazarus, A A (1989) . The practice ofmultimodal therapy. Baltimore: Johns HopkinQr Ht' ·'·, 'fi:. ,--b ..,.
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 24

-·--·-

- Real Self/Fake Self

Exercise

FAKE SELF REAL SELF

Arrived at by asking: Arrived at by asking:
''What do you want other people to ''What's re~~y true about you that
believe abou t you ?" you don't like to admit or tell anyone
about?"
"I can kick anybody's ass." "Sometimes I get my ass kicked."
"I love to fight" ''I really don't like to fight."
"Nothing hurts me." "I have been hurt many times."
"All girls want me." "A lot of girls think I'm a jerk."
"I am totally cool." "I am mostly unhappy."
"My bad grades are a joke." "I would like to get better grades."
"I don't care about anything." "I really care about a lot of things."
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 25

- - Warning Signs
Characteristics of Youth
Likely to Become Involved
in Crime ;

1
Lying
I

I
Lack of Empathy
I
Ignores Boundaries l
I
Takes Easy Way Out
I
Drug/Alcohol Involvement j
 F. J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 26

J
-- -----· .. . -· ----- - --. ·-- . -- ---
.
w
::- . ·: -. ~·
- ~~FD~B~-~~~
' -- rt~~-c:-~
:~ - -

Characteristics of Youth who

-- ~- - -:-- - -: - :- -
. - . _; - -- .
- -- ·- ----. -- -.-. ·- ·---- ·-· --- --.-

are a Danger to Others

Generally, a child or adolesent with a majority of these 12
characteristics is a potential threat to others and is in need of
immediate help and intervention.

I
Intense Need of i Lack of Empathy
Attention

Narcissistic l
"
Obsessive Thoughts
Self-Absorption of Vengeance

;\
Preoccupied with ~~
Racism or Prejudice
Violence ~
'I
.

Extreme Anger or i History of Alienation

Resentment or Rejection

Habitual Blaming of 1
Interpersonal
Others "
Deficits

A Loner or Member of ·
an Outcast Group '
Abuse of Drugs or
Alcohol ~
~
 F . J. Hanna: 70 Strategies and Techhniques 27

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