Adolescence: A Journey for Teens and Parents

Adolescence is not just a phase of life—it is a crossing, a passage marked by transformations that can be both beautiful and challenging. For parents, it can feel like watching their child drift into an unfamiliar world, full of new desires, moods, and ways of seeing life. What once seemed clear suddenly feels distant and difficult to grasp.

From a psychological perspective, adolescence is the moment when the child’s ego, once shaped by family, school, and culture, begins to claim independence. Saying “no,” challenging authority, and seeking new experiences are not simply defiance but signs of a growing self, learning to walk on its own path. As Jungian psychology reminds us, individuation—the lifelong process of becoming who we truly are—takes on special force in these years.

In today’s world, this journey is even more complex. Social media, constant exposure to comparisons, and the speed of change create pressure that previous generations never faced. Add to this the discovery of sexuality and gender identity, now expressed in ways that go far beyond the male/female binary many parents grew up with. For families, this can be confusing or even frightening. Yet, for adolescents, it is part of the search for authenticity, an attempt to answer the question: Who am I?

Another challenge is the strong desire to find a “name” for everything. Many parents, worried about behaviors or difficulties, quickly look for a diagnosis—ADHD, autism spectrum, OCD, anxiety. While these evaluations can be valuable, the risk is to reduce the adolescent to a label, forgetting that symptoms are often also signals of growth and transformation. Each teen is unique, and their struggles deserve to be understood in context, not only categorized.

For parents, the invitation is to see adolescence less as a problem to solve and more as a process to accompany. This doesn’t mean standing aside, but rather being present with openness, listening, and patience. Just as adolescents need space to test boundaries, parents also need support to handle their own fears and uncertainties. Therapy can be a safe place—for teens and for parents—to share, understand, and navigate this passage together.

After all, adolescence is not only the time when children grow up. It is also the time when parents grow, learn to let go, and rediscover new ways of being close.

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