01
In Sessions
Open questions, reflecting back what we heard, and rating scales take the place of the speech. Our therapist stays curious, and your teen does most of the talking.
Motivational Interviewing For Teens
Many teens arrive because a parent decided, and lecturing them about why they should want treatment can teach them to say what you want to hear. We work with their mixed feelings directly instead.
Clinically reviewed by Alejandro Alva, M.D., Medical Director.
- 30-90 days
- Ages 12-17
- Week one
- Joint Commission accredited
- Family-owned since 2021
What this is
Meeting A Teen Who Did Not Choose To Come
Motivational interviewing is how we engage a teen who did not choose this stay. It is also used when a teen is facing substance use they are not ready to give up, or a shutdown that can look like defiance. We do not sell the program or try to win the argument. We listen for a reason that already belongs to your teen, then build the week around it.
When your teen has not bought in yet
- 01
Here Because A Parent Decided
That is often true, and arguing about it can use up the first two weeks. We ask what would make these weeks worth something to your teen, so they have a reason of their own to take part.
- 02
Substance Use They Are Not Ready To Give Up
This can look like cannabis, vaping, or a weekend habit your teen still defends. Confronting it head-on can teach a teen to hide it, so we keep both sides of the question open.
- 03
A Shutdown That Can Look Like Refusal
Exposure work, school, or a family session your teen will not try tells us something useful. We work with the resistance and do not talk over it.
- 04
Mixed Feelings About Help
Part of your teen may want help while another part wants the old life back. We give both parts room to speak, because rushing the willing part can push the other part into hiding.
- 05
Parents Worn Down By The Argument
The harder you push, the harder many teens resist, until the argument can feel like the whole relationship. Family sessions teach an approach that leaves room for a real yes.
- 06
Change That Lasts Past Discharge
Motivation that belongs only to the staff can fade on discharge day. A reason that is truly your teen's has a better chance of lasting through the first weekend home.
How it works
Where Your Teen Starts To Engage
Therapy sessions stay curious, parents set the debate aside, and house staff ask what would make showing up worth it to your teen.
02
With Family
Parents practice an approach that does not restart the same argument at drop-off. The goal is a real yes from your teen, not winning the conversation.
03
In The House
Our staff do not argue a teen into walking into group. They ask what would make attending worth it to your teen, and everyone in the house uses the same approach.
Our approach
Their Reason, Not A Lecture
Each method is chosen for substance use, shutdown, and teens who have not bought in, not added because we know the technique.
- Core of the plan
Talking About Both Sides Of It
We discuss the part of your teen that wants to change and the part that does not. We do not rush one part or press the other into a fake agreement.
Finding A Reason That Is Already Theirs
A sport, a friendship, or something they want for their future is often already there. We listen until we hear it, then build the week around it, giving your teen a reason to stay engaged.
Working Alongside The Resistance
Pushing a teen often leads to pushing back, which is why arguing is not our method. We work alongside the resistance and keep the conversation going.
Making The Rest Of Treatment Possible
Thought work and skills training still need a teen who is willing to try them. This approach helps make that possible, and it does not replace the rest of the plan.
- When needed
Psychiatry When The Team Recommends It
A depression that will not lift can look a lot like not caring. We consult psychiatry when needed, because we want to avoid mistaking an illness for refusal.
Your part
Their Own Reason Matters Most
A teen who did not choose treatment is hard to argue into wanting it. Family sessions teach a different approach, so the motivation that goes home with your teen is their own.
Convince them they need this stay.
Ask What They Want From It
A speech about their future often does not land once a teen has dug in. A question about what they want can sometimes open a real yes.
Keep the debate going until they fold.
Asking In A Way That Allows A No
Winning the argument can teach your teen to say yes just to end it. Family sessions practice a shorter request, followed by a quiet pause instead of a lecture.
We will write their rules for the first weekend.
Letting The Weekend Plan Be Theirs
A plan your teen helped write often travels home better than a list of your rules. We draft it with your teen before discharge.
Length of stay
30
days in residence, by progress
Most stays that need this approach run one to three months, timed to a motivation that can last.
90
How This Fits Into A Stay
This approach runs from week one, especially with a teen who did not choose to come. Thirty to ninety days is often enough time for a teen to find a reason that can last once they are home. Aftercare means a next clinician who also will not try to argue your teen into wellness.
- The first two weeks focus on finding a reason that is truly your teen's, with no pressure for buy-in in week one.
- Most teens need one to three months, and some need longer, because mixed feelings do not resolve on a set date.
- Aftercare includes a next clinician, a weekend plan your teen owns, and check-ins at 30, 60, and 90 days.
When to call
Call Us. We'll Tell You If This House Fits.
If your teen will not come, comes but does not take part, or substance use is still the argument at home, we're here to help. Aaron Earnest and the admissions team will be honest about whether we can work with that. If substance use and mood are both in play, our dual diagnosis page is a better place to start.
Before you call
The Details Families Ask About First
- Who treats your teen
- Clinical care is led by Alejandro Alva, M.D., our Medical Director, and Stacia Ponce-Rodriguez, LMFT, our Clinical Director.Meet the team
- Cost and insurance
- We verify your benefits at no cost before anyone is asked to commit, with plans including Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Carelon, Cigna, GEHA, and Magellan. Benefits vary by plan, and verification is not a guarantee of coverage.How insurance covers treatmentWhat residential treatment costsHow admissions works
- How progress is tracked
- Your teen's treatment plan is reviewed as their progress changes, and discharge is planned around that progress instead of a set date. After discharge, we check in at 30, 60, and 90 days.How long residential treatment lastsWhat to expect in the first weeks
- Where your teen lives
- Teens live in a boys' house or a girls' house, in Orange County or Riverside County in Southern California. Families can tour the homes by appointment through admissions.Residential treatment for teen boysResidential treatment for teenage girlsOur Orange County homesOur Riverside County homeTour the homes
FAQ
Questions About Motivational Interviewing For Teens
Answers to what parents often ask about motivational interviewing in our program. If your question is not here, admissions can talk it through with you.
What is motivational interviewing, in plain words?
Motivational interviewing is how we engage a teen who did not choose this stay. We do not sell the program or try to win the argument. We listen for a reason that already belongs to your teen, then build the week around it.
Is this approach used for teens who still use substances?
We also use it when a teen is facing substance use they are not ready to give up, like cannabis, vaping, or a weekend habit. Confronting it head-on can teach a teen to hide it, so we keep both sides of the question open.
When does this approach start during my teen's stay?
This approach runs from week one, especially with a teen who did not choose to come. The first two weeks focus on finding a reason that is truly your teen's, with no pressure for buy-in.
How are parents involved in this approach?
Family sessions teach an approach that leaves room for a real yes, without restarting the same argument at drop-off. You practice a shorter request, followed by a quiet pause instead of a lecture. Your teen helps write the weekend plan before discharge, so the plan is their own.
Does this approach replace the rest of my teen's treatment?
This approach does not replace the rest of the plan. Thought work and skills training still need a teen who is willing to try them, and this approach helps make that possible. If substance use and mood are both in play, our dual diagnosis page is a better place to start.