Opposition Defiant Disorder* Symptoms May Include:
- Often Loses Temper
- Argues with Adults
- Defies or Refuses to Comply with Adults
- Deliberetely Annoys People
- Blames Others for His or Her Mistakes
- Acts Touchy or Easily Annoyed by Others
- Acts Angry and Resentful
- Behaves Spitefully or Vindictively
CONDUCT DISORDER* SYMPTOMS CAN INCLUDE:
- Behaves Aggressively to People or Animals
- Destroys Property
- Acts Deceitful or Steals
- Commits Serious Rule Violations (e.g., running away, skipping school)
*It is important to note that these problems can be resolved and are not permanent. These disorders are descriptions of behaviors that can be related to individual and situational factors, so context must be taken into account. It is important to not be confused by the word disorder as if it were a problem that will have to be dealt with throughout life. Also, there is a lot of research and evidence based and empiracally validated models for treatment for these problems.
For the past 11 years, I have worked with teens who were abusing drugs, running away, being aggressive at home, failing in school, and engaging in high risk behaviors. Whether your child has gone to such extremes or is just being disrespectful and argumentative, I can work with you to not only regain control of your household, but also develop a warmer, closer relationship with your teen.
Not only do we need to set limits and have the parent get back control of the household, but we need to work on having close family relationships. Without the soft side of parenting, setting limits and having consequences is not likely to work. I work with teenagers to find out what they would like to change in the family, help them to get their needs met, and see how the family can help them meet some of their goals.
I work with the parent alone in parent consultation sessions, with the family together in family therapy sessions, or using a combination of adolescent, family, and parent work. In addition to traditional families, I have worked this way with many diverse families including single parents, divorced and/or remarried families, or other family makeups.
For more information about my work with oppositional teens, listen to this podcast interview on Mentalhelp.net's Wise Counsel Podcast
My approach to this work includes Brief Strategic Family Therapy (one of the four empircally validated family therapies), Strategic Family Therapy (the work of Jim Kiem, LCSW and Scott Sells, PhD), and other research based treatments (Barkley, Glasser, Phelan). I am also part of the Bay Area Oppositional and Conduct Disorder Clinic.
I work with the parent alone in parent consultation sessions, with the family together in family therapy sessions, or using a combination of adolescent, family, and parent work. In addition to traditional families, I have worked this way with many diverse families including single parents, divorced and/or remarried families, or other family makeups.
For more information about my work with oppositional teens, listen to this podcast interview on Mentalhelp.net's Wise Counsel Podcast
My approach to this work includes Brief Strategic Family Therapy (one of the four empircally validated family therapies), Strategic Family Therapy (the work of Jim Kiem, LCSW and Scott Sells, PhD), and other research based treatments (Barkley, Glasser, Phelan). I am also part of the Bay Area Oppositional and Conduct Disorder Clinic.
To make an appointment for an assessment and/or discuss recommendations for treatment, call (415) 686-9544 or email drkeith@drkeithsutton.com I have offices in San Francisco and San Rafael and provide phone and/or web sessions for clients who can not come to the office.