Exploring The Experiences Of Adolescents With Traumatic Stress In Family Therapy

Systemic family therapy is widely utilised to address traumatic stress among adolescents; however, the subjective experience of the adolescent is frequently marginalised within the clinical space. This qualitative study aims to explore the lived experiences of adolescents navigating traumatic stress during systemic family therapy within the urban socio-cultural context of the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Utilising an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) design, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with ten adolescents (aged 13 to 16) who had experienced significant trauma. Thematic analysis revealed four primary themes. First, adolescents initially experienced power imbalances and invisibility within the therapy room, which were mitigated when therapists adopted an authentic, approachable, and culturally attuned stance. Second, parental presence initially triggered anxiety and loyalty conflicts but acted as a powerful catalyst for attachment repair when accompanied by genuine empathy and accountability. Third, non-verbal interventions (such as art therapy and metaphors) and neurobiological psychoeducation were found to be more significant in processing trauma than direct verbal confrontation. Finally, local cultural factors, particularly intense academic pressure (tuition culture) and filial piety (the avoidance of aib, or shame), significantly hindered open emotional disclosure and distorted recovery metrics. This study concludes that Western-derived systemic models must be culturally adapted by integrating safe dialogical spaces, utilising non-verbal modalities, and challenging academic-centric parental expectations to foster genuine, holistic trauma recovery in adolescents.