title: A crack in the wall.
abstract: Growing up is a precarious journey. Especially during the teenage years, kids hit occasional rocky patches as they struggle to come to grips with their changing bodies and the deepening demands of emotional relationships. Many young people cannot make nourishing connections with anyone because they have built a protective wall around themselves. Chipping down that wall is a long, painstaking process. Nineteen-year-old Mia reminded me once again that when a person makes progress with one problem, often others emerge. After all, self-abusive behaviors develop for a reason: They help people cope with unbearable feelings.
authors.forename: Judith Ruskay
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Rabinor