Adolescent Brain Development: Current Research and the Impact on Secondary School Counseling Programs

Brain growth and change is a key factor in adolescent development, influencing cognitions, emotions, and behavior. As technology has improved, so has the research on the adolescent brain. School counselors working with adolescents need to be familiar with recent literature to be more effective in their work with middle and high school students. Understanding changes in teens' brains and the impact it has on cognitive and personal/social development may assist school counselors in building a developmentally appropriate secondary school counseling program that better meets the needs of adolescent student populations.