Een sprong in het diepe: therapeutische diagnostiek bij adolescenten met een psychosegevoeligheid

Abstract

A leap into the dark: therapeutic assessment of adolescents with sensitivity to psychosis. The adolescence is a time of chances and opportunities, but also of challenges and threats. It is a structuring moment in which the youngster builds upon earlier life experiences. At the same time, it all feels as a leap into the dark. The adolescent doesn’t know if and where he or she will land. In this article, we try to understand why psychotic symptoms often appear at that moment. Furthermore, we explore which ideas can help us understand these phenomena. Working with adolescents and working with people with psychotic symptoms both have their own particularities. In this article, we describe how VRINT deals with these particularities. We focus on therapeutic assessment with a great sensitivity for psychic wounds of the past. Sometimes it can be an opportunity to work through these difficulties, if this was not possible in the past. We plead for a broad approach with a great sensitivity for the whole person and his or her context. It requires some courage to face the psychotic world, but it is fascinating and helpful to get in touch with these experiences through the adolescent.