Treating the Disruptive Adolescent

WHAT IF OPPOSITIONAL BEHAVIOR IS ACTUALLY A CRY FOR AUTHENTICITY?Dr. Bustamante revolutionizes treatment for defiant adolescents. Rather than viewing defiance as a character flaw, this approach recognizes it as identity confusion-a struggle that deserves understanding, not merely control. The result? Real transformation, not temporary compliance.Dr. Bustamante understands oppositional states as an expression of the teenager's uncertainty about his own identity and alienation from his true self. Attempts to curb rebellion that rely solely on firm behavioral limits will fail, because they thwart rather than promote development and disregard the real meaning of the disruptive behavior.Treating the Disruptive Adolescent offers clinicians an effective method for diagnosing, managing, and treating oppositional, resistant, and disruptive older children and adolescents. This book's approach is a sensitive and creative alternative to treating a difficult population, one that offers hope and attainable goals.