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Kids: Let’s face it, no kid, especially an adolescent wants to be caught dead in a therapist’s office.
Dr. Perna would see this as a sign of health. From his perspective kids should be out leading
their lives, spending time with their friends, and having fun.
Many of the kids who meet with Dr. Perna are able to acknowledge that something is not
working in their life. This “something” is usually quite upsetting for them and prevents them
from enjoying their life. In working with Dr. Perna many kids feel that he is fair, listens to their
perspective, and teaches them how to resolve the many conflicts in their lives that are getting
them down. Here are a few examples of what they typically say:
“My parents make me crazy, they think they know me but they really don’t.
My friends are my family and my parents are trying to keep them away
from me, they can’t and I won’t let them. I just need some space.”
“I hate school, I always have. It is not the learning, I like to learn, it is all of the homework
and everyone making so many demands of me. I can’t deal with all the stress.”
“My parents expect too much of me, they don’t know what it is like these
days, they never had to deal with all of the pressures that I have to deal
with when they were a kid.”
“All kids my age drink and use drugs, especially weed, so why do I have to go to treatment,
my friends don’t and they use way more than I do?”
“My teacher’s hate me, they think that I am an a**hole because I
never get my homework done. They have no idea how hard it is for
me to stay focused and organized.”
“My probation officer is a jerk. I have a curfew and he comes to check on me in school. Why
do I need to keep paying for my mistakes for so long, it isn’t fair. Other kids do the same
things all the time and they never get caught.”
“I am not sure why I can’t keep friends. I don’t try to bother anyone but kids can be
brutal, they are so mean to me at times and try to get everyone against me. Like it is
some type of game. But it is not a game. This is my life.”
Dr. Perna would see this as a sign of health. From his perspective kids should be out leading
their lives, spending time with their friends, and having fun.
Many of the kids who meet with Dr. Perna are able to acknowledge that something is not
working in their life. This “something” is usually quite upsetting for them and prevents them
from enjoying their life. In working with Dr. Perna many kids feel that he is fair, listens to their
perspective, and teaches them how to resolve the many conflicts in their lives that are getting
them down. Here are a few examples of what they typically say:
“My parents make me crazy, they think they know me but they really don’t.
My friends are my family and my parents are trying to keep them away
from me, they can’t and I won’t let them. I just need some space.”
“I hate school, I always have. It is not the learning, I like to learn, it is all of the homework
and everyone making so many demands of me. I can’t deal with all the stress.”
“My parents expect too much of me, they don’t know what it is like these
days, they never had to deal with all of the pressures that I have to deal
with when they were a kid.”
“All kids my age drink and use drugs, especially weed, so why do I have to go to treatment,
my friends don’t and they use way more than I do?”
“My teacher’s hate me, they think that I am an a**hole because I
never get my homework done. They have no idea how hard it is for
me to stay focused and organized.”
“My probation officer is a jerk. I have a curfew and he comes to check on me in school. Why
do I need to keep paying for my mistakes for so long, it isn’t fair. Other kids do the same
things all the time and they never get caught.”
“I am not sure why I can’t keep friends. I don’t try to bother anyone but kids can be
brutal, they are so mean to me at times and try to get everyone against me. Like it is
some type of game. But it is not a game. This is my life.”