The Socially Confident Teen: An Attachment Theory Workbook to Help You Feel Good about Yourself and Connect with Others

by Christina Reese PhD, David Crenshaw PhD, ABPP (Foreword by)

Overview

Engaging and simple attachment-based tools for improving social success, boosting self-confidence, feeling more secure, and connecting genuinely with others.

Being a teen can feel like a full-time job. If it’s not the pressure to get good grades or get along with your parents, there’s always the anxiety of asking someone out on a date, or the agony of waiting for that first ‘Like’ on your latest post. It’s also a time for big change; in addition to fluctuating hormones and changes in your body, you’re probably noticing a transformation in the way you view the world and exactly where you fit in. What you need are evidence-based tools for navigating your rapidly changing life, and building strong social bonds to support you on your journey.

Written by an expert in attachment theory, The Socially Confident Teen is your essential how-to guide for developing a complete set of social skills. You’ll learn how to identify and cultivate healthy connections, and how to repair them when they’re damaged. You’ll find strategies for applying your newfound skills in any setting—from peers to parents. And finally, you’ll discover how to grow and maintain your social network, and ensure healthy support for yourself as you grow into an independent adult.

If you’re ready to start being socially confident and successful, the must-have skills in this guide can help you survive and thrive as a teen.

This workbook can help you:

• Choose positive peer relationships
• Maintain a good relationship with your parents
• Build healthy relationships now and into adulthood
• Learn effective communication skills

 

In these increasingly challenging times, kids and teens need mental health resources more than ever. With more than 1.6 million copies sold worldwide, Instant Help Books are easy to use, proven-effective, and recommended by therapists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684038725
Publisher:	New Harbinger Publications
Publication date:	05/01/2022
Pages:	184
Sales rank:	1,079,508
Product dimensions:	9.80(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Christina Reese, PhD, is a licensed clinical therapist who specializes in attachment theory. She has extensive experience with attachment trauma and adoption, working on connecting families and building stronger relationships. Reese provides educational seminars across the country on attachment and trauma in children and families, and is author of Attachment, Puzzle Pieces, The Attachment Connection, and Trauma and Attachment.


David A. Crenshaw, PhD, ABPP, is clinical director of the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie, NY, and adjunct faculty at Western Connecticut State University. He has authored several books on child and adolescent therapy, child abuse and trauma, and resilience in children.

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

Dear Parents and Helping Professionals ix

Dear Reader xiii

What Is a Healthy and Fulfilling Relationship? xv

Part 1 Assessing Your Attachment Style

Activity 1 Secure Attachment 6

Activity 2 Anxious Attachment 12

Activity 3 Avoidant Attachment 17

Activity 4 Disorganized Attachment 22

Part 2 The Pathway to Earning Secure Attachment

Activity 5 In Tune With You! 28

Activity 6 Attuned to Others 39

Activity 7 Others In Tune with You! 44

Activity 8 Building Trust 53

Activity 9 Vulnerability 61

Activity 10 The Equation of Attachment 67

Part 3 From Anxious to Secure Attachment

Activity 11 What You Bring to a Relationship 72

Activity 12 Boundaries In Relationships 76

Activity 13 Balance In Relationships 80

Activity 14 Recognizing a Good Relationship 84

Part 4 From Avoidant to Secure Attachment

Activity 15 No One Is Perfect 90

Activity 16 Relationship Rupture and Repair 94

Activity 17 Interdependence and You 98

Activity 18 Compromise In Relationships 102

Part 5 From Disorganized to Secure Attachment

Activity 19 Control Your Emotions So They Don't Control You 110

Activity 20 Growing Empathy 115

Activity 21 Reducing Impulsivity and Increasing Self-Control 121

Activity 22 The Golden Rule Revisited 125

Activity 23 Respect In Relationships 130

Activity 24 Recognizing Safe and Unsafe Relationships 134

Part 6 Attachment In Specific Relationships

Activity 25 Healthy Connections In Friendships 140

Activity 26 The Dating Relationship 144

Activity 27 Breaking Up Is Hard to Do 149

Activity 28 Parents and Modeling 153

Your Journey Ahead 157

Acknowledgments 159

Interviews

Reese resides in Prospect Harbor, ME.

Editorial Reviews

The Socially Confident Teen is a practical, nonthreatening guide for teens to examine both their outside world of relationships with others, as well as their inside world of relationship with themselves to make sense of it in a way that will bring health and wellness to their mind and spirit. Christina Reese gently leads youth through valuable exercises taken at their own pace. I highly recommend it!”
—Elaine C. Shenk, MS, director of adoption/post adoption at Bethany Christian Services of Central Pennsylvania

Elaine C. Shenk

Christina Reese’s The Socially Confident Teen addresses one of the most significant aspects of adolescent life: relationships. It offers space for readers to look closely at how they function in their personal relationships, understand how these patterns developed, and learn what they can do to make their relationships as healthy and positive as possible. This is always an important goal, but even more so in a world where so much of a teen’s social life is channeled through social media, and where cyber relationships color or take the place of in-person interaction. A well-organized and well-thought-out manual for social success, which can be helpful for adults as well!”
—Lisa M. Schab, LCSW, psychotherapist; and author of nineteen self-help books, including The Self-Esteem Workbook for Teens and the guided journal, Put Your Worries Here

Lisa M. Schab

This is a book I wish I had read as a teenager! Centered around the four attachment styles, Reese expertly provides a valuable resource to help guide teens through a very sensitive time of life. With its relatable case examples and a wealth of personal reflective exercises, teens are empowered to learn healthy strategies to engage in attuned interpersonal relationships with peers and others. A must-have resource for every therapist’s bookshelf!”
—Janet A. Courtney, PhD, founder of FirstPlay Therapy, and author of Healing Child and Family Trauma through Expressive and Play Therapies

Janet A. Courtney

The Socially Confident Teen is an excellent resource that can be used within a therapeutic setting and personal growth setting. Reese has provided a clear and practical workbook for teens to gain the skills needed to build healthy connections and relationships with others while facing the challenges of being a teenager in the world.”
—Carmen Jimenez-Pride, LCSW, RPT-S, director of Outspoken Counseling and Consulting, LLC; and creator of Focus on Feelings books and resources

Carmen Jimenez-Pride

The Socially Confident Teen is an incredibly useful, well-written workbook for readers to use both on their own and for clinicians to use as a guide to work with patients. It is an easy-to-read, clear explanation of attachment and its impact on functioning, as well as relationships. Families will find this workbook useful to understand each other and their relationships. Further, it will help clinicians have a guide in working with attachment and building teen confidence and self-esteem. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!”
—Cynthia Welsh, LCSW- C, QCSW, psychotherapist for twenty-two years; clinical supervisor; and founder of Alma Counseling, LLC

Cynthia Welsh