[Psychodynamic and family dynamic aspects of puberty crises]

Within the framework of psychotherapy with youth, family therapy occupied a significant part of entire therapy concept. While working with youth one is always confronted with the problem of differential diagnosis i. e. whether it is a "Phase-specific Problem" or an adolescent crisis or one must interpret symptoms as morbid pathological development requiring the help of physician or psychotherapist. However one should be aware of the danger of hastily tabelling a diagnosis on one side and minimising the importance of symptoms on the other side. In our opinion the physician or therapist runs a great risk of failure in therapy when he concentrates only on the problems of child and tries to solve them through medicaments of hospitalisation. The best possible chance of success lies in directing his attention and therapy towards the whole family. When therapist intends helping the parents he should set as a bridge between the generations and convince parents accept the inevitable growing up their children into adulthood.