Understanding Teenagers: Sometimes Wild, Always Wise

The teenage years can be a rollercoaster of emotional highs and lows leading to behaviour that many adults find difficult and disturbing. This book seeks to help parents, teachers and other adults who are significant in the lives of teenagers to understand this troubled and troublesome behaviour.

Helping young people towards maturity, demands of adults that they be mature themselves. Without such maturity it is difficult to relate fully to the challenging behaviour of some adolescents. A relationship that is genuine, non-judgemental, compassionate, empathic and unconditionally loving is necessary in order to resolve conflicts that so often arise between parents, other adults and teenagers.

The authors emphasise that no matter how problematic a young person's behaviour may be, there is a cause or explanation; appreciation of this goes a long way towards helping young people to resolve that which is troubling them

The book is structured so that each chapter stands on its own, allowing the reader to focus on specific issues that may arise in their own and their teenagers' lives.

Dr Tony Humphreys is a consultant clinical psychologist, author and public speaker. He is the author of thirteen bestselling books including The Power of 'Negative' Thinking, Myself, My Partner, Leaving the Nest, A Different Kind of Teacher, A Different Kind of Discipline, Work and Worth: Take Back Your Life, Examining Your Times and Whose Life Are You Living?. His books are available in 24 foreign-language editions.

Dr. Helen Ruddle is a counselling psychologist and researcher who has published widely in the field of social policy.