Anyone who has worked with adolescents for part of their practice has experienced the sense of speaking a language from an alternate universe, similar to yet quite unlike our own. And anyone who has worked in the field of adolescence for a significant amount of time will from time to time experience a sense of being hopelessly “behind the curve.” Fortunately, there is a resource out there for those of you who want to translate what your clients, or children are saying to you: www.urbandictionary.com . This highly nonclinical dictionary can definitely help, although like anything concerned with youth it is unconventional and preoccupied with some of the traditional categories of teen interest—sex, drugs, and music. Nevertheless it contains just about every phrase, including text-messages, that you’ve ever heard about.
Peer Supervision
A peer supervision group is forming in Harvard Sq. The group welcomes clinicians of various disciplines and theoretical backgrounds. We’re looking for members with 5 or more years of clinical experience, an ongoing interest in learning, and a sense of humor. Current members use psychodynamic, CBT, DBT, and systems theory in their clinical work, and are open to broadening their scope. The group meets Mondays at 12:00 PM, please contact me for more details.
Hi Mike,
Loved this post (because it has actually helped me with my adolescent clientele), but I had to one-up you on my blog. Urban Dictionary is surprisingly useful, particularly in regards to the ever-evolving slang of the LGBT community. You can read the post at http://atherapeuticendeavor.blogspot.com/2012/04/use-urban-dictionary-to-better-your.html (and it links back to your post), as well as some of my thoughts for expanding the use of Urban Dictionary to other demographics.