Kweku’s Korner
Tyree D. Brinson, PsyD
By Tyree D. Brinson, PsyD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist (IL) | PsyPact Certified to Practice Virtually in Over 40 States Including Wisconsin
Private Practice Psychologist | Clinical Consultant | Clinical Director of an Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program in Downtown Chicago
Adolescence is a critical stage of life marked by rapid emotional, physical, and social changes. During this formative time, young people are exploring identity, independence, peer relationships, and increasing demands at school and home. As a clinical psychologist and Clinical Director of an adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), I’ve seen firsthand how protective factors are crucial in helping youth navigate these challenges successfully.
While risk factors—such as trauma, poverty, or mental illness—are often emphasized in discussions about youth development, it is protective factors that can steer adolescents toward resilience, stability, and thriving. Protective factors are strengths within the individual or their environment that buffer against stress and risk. They promote healthy emotional growth, improve decision-making, and reduce the chances of negative outcomes like substance use, school failure, or hospitalization.
Protective factors generally fall into three main categories: individual, relational, and environmental.
Individual Strengths
Adolescents with strong self-esteem, emotional awareness, and effective coping skills are better equipped to handle stress. Teaching mindfulness, communication strategies, and problem-solving in therapeutic or educational settings helps young people regulate emotions and make thoughtful choices.
Supportive Relationships
Caring, consistent adults—such as parents, mentors, teachers, or therapists—serve as anchors for adolescents. These relationships are powerful tools for emotional support and guidance. In clinical practice, I’ve seen how family therapy and mentorship can rebuild trust and offer a foundation for healthy connections.
Positive Environments
Structured, affirming environments—whether in schools, after-school programs, or therapeutic settings—create a sense of belonging and purpose. Our adolescent IOP integrates academic support, identity-affirming care, and peer connection, helping youth reconnect with their goals and community.
Cultural and systemic factors must also be considered. For many youth, especially those in marginalized communities, protective factors must include access to culturally responsive care, advocacy for educational equity, and acknowledgment of lived experiences such as racial trauma. A trauma-informed approach that validates identity and experience is essential to helping these adolescents heal and grow.
As providers, educators, and advocates, shifting from a deficit-based lens to a strengths-based perspective allows us to focus not just on what youth are surviving—but what they are capable of achieving. Protective factors are more than buffers—they are the building blocks of confidence, connection, and future success.
By investing in programs, relationships, and systems that support adolescent resilience, we move beyond crisis management and toward the development of healthy, empowered young people.