Adolescence burns

The article presents a summary of the symptoms that most commonly prompted adolescents to seek psychotherapy in the post-Covid 19 period. On the basis of these symptoms, the author engages in a reflection on the image of fire as a metaphor for the current state of the adolescent psyche, consuming living matter and turning it into ashes, a psyche which, on the other hand, is contagious by contact, via cultural dynamics the article tries to demonstrate. The practice of the analytic relationship with adolescents can be enhanced by an awareness and deeper understanding of these cultural dynamics, their mechanisms, and the way they operate and, in session, by offering an attitude that takes these dynamics into account. This approach supports the adolescent’s individuation process.