6 Levels of Validation for Teenagers
6 Ways You Can Communicate Better Through Validation for Teenagers
It’s common for teenagers and parents to have some degree of difficulty communicating and connecting with one another. As a counselor for teenagers, I talk to many teens who find it difficult to connect with their caregivers. They often feel that their caregivers simply don’t understand where they're coming from or what is important in their lives. Fortunately, you can reconnect with your teen with the help of validation for teenagers.
Validation is a way to acknowledge the other person’s experience and begin to relate to your teen. When I teach Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), I teach the 6 levels of Validation described below. I’ve often said that if I could give all parents one gift it would be to teach the concept of validation. Validation is a powerful communication technique.
What is Validation for Teenagers?
Validation means looking for what makes sense from another person’s point of view. Validation doesn’t necessarily mean you agree with the other person. But it does mean you value the other person enough to try to hear what they are saying. You may be looking for just a kernel of truth in the other person’s point of view at times. Validation communicates to the other person that they are important to you. Validating your teenager can help break down barriers and reconnect through better communication.
6 Levels of Validation: Tools to De-Escalate and Connect with Your Teenager
Below are six different ways (based on Marsha Linehan’s explanation in DBT) that you can validate your teen. Generally, the higher the level of validation, the more validating it is to the other person. Sometimes we can’t use a Level 5 validation, because what the other person’s saying just doesn’t make sense to us. Even in those moments, you can:
listen to them (Level 1)
summarize what you’ve heard the other person saying (Level 2), and
read behind the lines or to see what they are trying to say (Level 3)
Level 1. Pay Attention
Of course, parents think they are paying attention, but in this fast-paced world, you may be surprised how often you find yourself multitasking. Perhaps you are “listening” to your teen while you’re doing dishes and asking how their day was, but if you make time to focus solely on your teen they may feel valued and realize that you are actually interested in their life. For example, maybe your teen has been skipping school, but you don't fully understand the underlying reasons they're doing so. If you can approach them on their level, you may be able to discover the root cause and help them.
Level 2. Reflect Back
This involves summarizing what they’ve said to make sure you fully understand. If your teen has very different interests than you or has just told you about several different things, quickly summarizing by saying, “It sounds like something went wrong in every single class today,” or, “I had no idea so much planning and practice went into a single basketball play!” The goal here is to accurately reflect back or summarize what you’ve heard. This shows your teen that you really are listening to them and gives them the chance to clarify what they mean if you’ve misunderstood.
Level 3. “Read Minds”
This step involves trying to understand what your youth has not said. Level 3 means reading between the lines and trying to acknowledge what isn’t being said. It’s essentially taking an educated guess. Don’t be afraid to “guess” wrong, because even if they insist you are wrong, they will know you are trying to understand where they’re coming from and they may correct you by explaining how they actually feel.
Level 4. Validate Their Feelings
This is when you say, "their feelings make sense given something about your teen or their past experiences". Saying “You are nervous about the Algebra test because you didn’t do as well as you wanted on the last exam,” shows that you understand where they are coming from. Or saying, “Because you have been depressed for so long, it’s hard for you to even picture yourself happy again.” Pro tip: try to avoid using this in a way that invalidates a youth by dismissing their feelings by saying something like, “You feel that way because you are so young. When you’re an adult you won’t feel that way.”
Level 5. Acknowledge the Valid
Here you are simply acknowledging that their feelings are valid/ok/normal. Telling
you teen that anyone would feel like they feel, that you hear the depth of their emotions and that you accept their emotions will help them feel accepted and safe opening up to you. An example would be, “Break ups are hard,” or “Anyone would feel angry if their friend said something like that.” This can be incredibly powerful for teenagers who often feel like they are alone or weird. We may not be able to acknowledge their response to a specific situation (i.e. threatening a friend) as valid or understandable, but their emotions are often much easier to validate (it’s understandable that you are disappointed and angry that your friend has cancelled plans).
Level. 6 Show Equality through Radical Genuineness
Being radically genuine with your teen, sharing yourself with them, and treating them as a valid, capable person helps your youth adjust to having respectful, adult interactions that they will have as they transition into adulthood. Every parent has a different personality as does each teenager. This means being “real” with your teenager, treating them as if they matter, and not acting as if they are fragile. This is where you bring “you” into the relationship.
Good luck relating to and validating your teenager! Using techniques of validation for teenagers will help you develop a better understanding of your teen. You can show them that you care and are interested in their lives through these techniques to improve communication.
Other resources on our site you may find helpful:
Identifying Anxiety in Children and Teens
5 Signs Your Teenager is Struggling with their Mental Health
Questions: A Powerful Way to Communicate with Your Teenager
Supporting an LGBTQ Teen Coming Out
Tips for Coping with Test Anxiety
How to respond to your teen’s comments about suicide
Helping Your Teen Cope with the Stress of Divorce
Signs Your Teen Has Anxiety & What to Do
Further Help With Your Teenager with Teen Therapy
If you’d like to learn about how counseling may help your teenager, please call us today at 573-328-2288. Aspire Counseling has therapists who regularly work with teenagers and parents of teens. We have the experience, training, and expertise to help both you and your youth!
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Other Services Offered at Aspire Counseling
As a Mid Mo based counseling center for individual counseling, we offer more than validation for teenagers through teen counseling. We also offer a PTSD counseling e-course, as well as counseling for college students, PTSD & trauma treatment, counseling for depression, grief and loss counseling, adults therapy, DBT counseling, transgender affirming & LGBTQ therapy, mindfulness counseling, EMDR therapy services, sexual assault & rape survivor counseling and anxiety treatment in Columbia, MO. We also offer tips for improving your overall mental health on our blog. Please free to Contact us for questions or to schedule an appointment or schedule and appointment here today!
About the Author
Jessica Tappana, LCSW is the founder of Aspire Counseling and a counselor for teenagers, children and adults, at her Columbia, MO counseling center.Aspire Counseling specializes in helping youth and adults through treating trauma, grief, anxiety/fear and those who are going through a stressful period in their life. Our mental health therapists often work with teenagers and their parents. We believe in creating a welcoming therapy environment so people of all walks of life can find emotional healing, peace and joy. Jessica enjoys writing blog posts that give people hope and practical advice about how to improve their mental health. In her spare time, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, cheering at MU sporting events (go Tigers!) and traveling.
