2006

Many adolescents whom counselors regularly counsel are ambivalent and unmotivated to behavioral change. Adolescents are frequently sent for services not of their own volition, but rather by a concerned parent/ guardian or other adult. Many of the traditional counseling theories and approaches were developed for motivated adults. Additionally, research has indicated that when most people begin counseling they are not ready to take action to change (Isenhart, 1994), although the majority of counseling models are constructed for working with clients who are ready to take action to change (Prochaska, DiClemente, & Norcross, 1992).