Maggie developed the STAND program when she was in graduate school in Buffalo, New York. You can read the story about that here and review some of the research results here.

STAND stands for Supporting Teens’ Autonomy Daily. It is a way of conducting weekly therapy with parents and teens who struggle with attention, motivation, or organization. Adolescents who have difficulties in these areas are at risk for underperforming at school and having strained relationships with family members.

STAND involves the parent and the teen. A lot of parents say they want help to create the right structure at home for the teen, maintain a consistent routine, and help the adolescent find their own motivation to do their best.

Some parents feel like they help and remind too much and it gets in the way of the teen’s independence. Other parents feel it is too stressful to keep track of the teen’s homework or chores because they have no control over what the teen does anyway. STAND tries to help with both of these dilemmas.

Therapists do two main things in STAND. They share skills with the parent and teen that have helped past families feel more in balance. They also use a technique called Motivational Interviewing to help parents and teens figure out what is important to them and what kind of family member they want to be. You can read about Motivational Interviewing here.

STAND emphasizes the importance of being realistic. Parents often work late. Teens have after school activities. Technology is distracting for teens but necessary for daily life. STAND is all about helping families figure out the best case scenario. It’s about helping teens become more independent and responsible and parents feel less stressed, more in control, and balanced as a parent.

To learn more about STAND you can check out the book and watch some training videos that show real life examples of work with a family. You can contact Maggie directly for in-person training opportunities.