SST for adolescents
Social Skills Training (SST) for adolescents consists of group sessions that help teenagers navigate relationships with others more effectively. During the sessions, young people learn how to talk about their emotions, set boundaries, handle conflict and build healthier relationships with peers, parents and siblings.
The sessions are practical in nature — participants work with situations from everyday life, practise communication, analyse different social scenarios and learn new ways of responding. Working in a small group allows them to safely develop skills that help them function more confidently in relationships.
Are you wondering whether it is normal for a teenager to struggle to find their place in relationships at school?
Yes!
Adolescence is a time of intense change — emotional, social and developmental. During this period, relationships with peers become particularly important for young people.
Social Skills Training can be especially helpful for adolescents who:
✓ struggle to find their place in a peer group
✓ avoid social contact or withdraw from relationships
✓ frequently experience conflicts with peers
✓ are deeply affected by rejection or the judgement of others
✓ have difficulty expressing their needs and boundaries
✓ struggle with shyness or social anxiety
✓ have ADHD / are on the autism spectrum
✓ experience difficulties in school or family relationships.
For many adolescents, social relationships are one of the most challenging areas of growing up. They often need a space where they can safely develop these skills.
What do SST sessions for adolescents look like?
✅ Sessions in the form of regular group classes led by specialists working with adolescents.
Programme tailored to the age of participants and the needs of the group.
✅ Exercises, conversations with peers and social role-play scenarios that help participants better understand emotions, communicate with others and cope in difficult social situations.
✅ A practical workshop format — participants work with situations they know from everyday life — from school, peer relationships and home.
Organisation of SST workshops
✓ sessions take place once a week (groups on Tuesdays 17:00 / Wednesdays 18:00 / Thursdays 17:00 and Saturdays 10:00 and 12:00)
✓ sessions last 60–75 minutes
✓ we work in intimate peer groups (approx. 5–7 participants)
✓ the programme is preceded by an assessment consultation with parents (60 min) and the child (15 min)
✓ every month parents receive written progress summaries and guidance for working at home
What skills does SST for adolescents develop?
During the training, adolescents develop the social competencies needed in relationships with others.
Sessions help with, among other things:
building relationships with peers and family
communicating their needs and opinions
understanding their own emotions and those of others
coping with criticism and conflict
setting boundaries and developing assertiveness
making decisions and managing stress
Regular practice of these skills helps adolescents navigate relationships with others more effectively and increases their confidence in social situations.
Parents know what the adolescent is working on
In many SST programmes, parents only know that their child is attending sessions.
At Równoważni MED we make sure that parents understand the adolescent's development process and can support them outside of sessions too. That is why throughout the programme we prepare written progress summaries and guidance for working at home.
If observation within the group indicates such a need, it is also possible to extend the support to include a psychological or psychiatric consultation, in order to tailor the form of help even more closely to the needs of the young person.
Have a question?