Thrive Trainer on how the Thrive Approach can help those working with adolescents
Adolescence has, for generations, been portrayed as the period of time when we all have to grin and bare the fact that our delightful, caring and compassionate young children become demonised by the onset of puberty and the teenage years. We hold our breaths, batten down the hatches and wait for the inevitable storm that prevails. It has only been the last 15 years that advances in neuroscience have provided us with a greater understanding of brain development and an insight into how the teenage brain goes through a period of significant change and adaptation.
Adolescent Years training discusses the scientific reasons as to why our children go through this huge neuronal meltdown. Thinning of grey matter in the pre frontal cortex during adolescence has a significant impact on the ability to plan, make decisions and to inhibit inappropriate behaviours and at the same time the teenage brain seeks more risk taking thrills. There is a real window of opportunity to support adolescents through this period of brain development through rich relational environments. The Thrive Approach can help practitioners to understand the changes within the brain and to develop action plans, through the use of Thrive-Online, aimed age appropriately to provide the best opportunities for development.
As an Educational Psychologist I receive a significant number of referrals for children in year 8 – year 10 due to social and emotional difficulties. By developing our own understanding of how the young person’s brain changes during the adolescent years we are better equipped to support them through this time of re wiring and synaptic pruning and hopefully develop as thriving individuals.
Thrive offer a variety of courses that can help those working with adolescents. To find out more click here