This monograph was written to help teachers, counselors, and parents who live and work with adolescents. It explains the psychological tasks of adolescence, separation from parents, and identity formation. Guidelines are provided for adolescent and parental development in several areas. An overview of regressive adaptation focuses on expressions of anger; depression and despair; rigidity; alcohol, sex, and drugs; envy; adolescent self-centeredness; and adolescent lack of appreciation. Stages of family life are described, with attention to the individual within the family, the family life cycle, the family system, the midlife stage of family development, loss of self, triangulation, adolescent pressure to achieve, family negotiation, and sibling influences. Sources of dysfunctional family patterns are considered, including parental needs, negative attitudes toward change, unresolved separation issues, responses to adolescent behavior, and views of common problems. A section on facilitating adolescent growth examines helping relationships outside the family, idealization of significant others, parental resistance to help, transference reactions to a counselor, appropriate responses to adolescents in conflict, and family history. The monograph concludes that helping adults need to understand the authority and control conflicts of adolescent development, the conflicts and dynamics of the adolescent's family, and the influences of social and cultural affiliations. (NB)