Leaving home: later stages of treatment.

While the Leaving Home approach has greatly enhanced the work of many therapists struggling to help troubled young adults and their families, a more thorough consideration of the difficulties that often arise in the later stages of Leaving Home treatment is still needed. This paper examines the ways in which the function of the symptom and difficulties with life-cycle transitions may lead to problems in the later stages of treatment. Common manifestations of later-stage problems, including loss of therapeutic focus and failure of parents to follow through on plans are examined. Direct and indirect strategies for addressing these problems are identified and guidelines for their use presented.