Description:
OPD Points: 5
Adolescence is a time of rapid change, identity formation, and emotional complexity. Engaging adolescents in therapy requires more than foundational clinical skills—it demands a nuanced understanding of developmental needs, relational dynamics, and the ability to adapt psychotherapeutic technique to meet young people where they are.
In this highly practical and clinically informed CPD session, Clinical Psychologist Vanessa Hemp draws on her extensive experience as Head of the Adolescent Unit at Tara Psychiatric Hospital and in private practice to provide evidence-based strategies for effective engagement with adolescent clients. She explores key developmental concepts, how to modify therapeutic approaches for this age group, and how to work skillfully with parents while maintaining adolescent trust.
Session Topics
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Core Features of Adolescent Development
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Modifying Technique: Building Rapport and Tailoring the Frame
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Managing Parents: Communication, Boundaries, and Confidentiality
Ideal for psychologists in clinical, school, or community settings, this session supports practitioners in building confidence, rapport, and therapeutic momentum with adolescents.
Key Learning Objectives / Outcomes:
By the end of this CPD session, participants will be able to:
Understand key psychological and emotional tasks of adolescent development.
Adapt psychotherapeutic techniques to enhance engagement with adolescent clients.
Navigate the complexities of working with adolescents and their families.
Recognise how to maintain therapeutic boundaries while building trust and alliance.
Apply strategies to balance confidentiality and communication when managing parent expectations.
Assessment:
Presenter / Provider:
Vanessa Hemp
Presenter Qualifications:
Vanessa Hemp is a Clinical Psychologist who trained at Wits University. She started working at Tara Hospital with children, adolescences and their parents, on an outpatient basis. She became Head of Department of Psychology, managing and supervising the psychological service provision throughout the hospital, including the outpatient and outreach services at Alexandra Clinic. She was also involved in the training and supervision of interns and psychiatry registrars as well as in the planning of the Children’s Ward and training of staff. Vanessa’s role in the Alex AIDS Orphans Project was to identify the psychological needs of orphaned children, and to develop and supervise a number of bereavement groups. This work was presented at conferences, including the World Association of Social Psychiatry in Kobe, Japan. At Tara, she served as a joint appointee to the Wits University Department of Psychiatry. Since leaving the hospital, Vanessa has been in private practice, focusing on adolescents and parenting. She continues to present at conferences on topics relating to children, adolescence and parenting. Addressing issues of affect regulation and assisting children, teens and their parents to manage stressful situations and overwhelming feelings has been a major focus of her work.
