On the couch across from me was a young teenage girl—articulate, witty, and surprisingly self-aware for her age. This isn’t the girl I was expecting. In our pre-counseling consultation, her mother doubted she would readily open up; she said her daughter was withdrawn, angry, unmotivated, and making lots of poor choices. Based on this description I was prepared to work hard to build a connection. The mother also told me they had “tried everything,” and were desperate to help her. I knew what this implied. It was the same message I frequently get from parents—the expectation that I will work magic and in no time their troubled adolescent will be better.
As I listened to the girl, who openly shared (and not just the sugar-coated version of herself), her perspective too sounded familiar… {Click HERE to continue reading article.}
Article written for the Rooted Ministry blog.
