Adolescence:
Dr. Marwit's goal in working with teenage boys and girls is to help them identify their positive attributes so they can enter young adulthood with a strong and positive sense of themselves. He starts with an understanding that adolescence can be a confusing and tumultuous time and that many teens turn to gangs, drugs, eating disorders, and other unhealthy outlets to express their emerging identities. Dr. Marwit's work demonstrates that it is often helpful for a teen to talk with a trained, non-family "elder," where age-defined concerns can be expressed in private, issues accepted non-judgmentally, and adult guidance provided. Depending on the circumstances, this work is done in individual, group, or family settings.

Of special note is his Weekend Quest Project for adolescent boys, aged 11-13 and 14-18. This is a positively-oriented, goal-focused, weekend program designed to help boys identify personal strengths and weaknesses, learn constructive communication with peers and adults, develop anger management and conflict resolution skills, build self-confidence, and establish a sense of responsibility and accountability to the larger culture. The Quest Project has now "graduated" over 300 young men and uses the "Behavior Evaluation Scale-3" to document improvement in a number of areas of emotion and attitude. The Announcement for The Weekend Quest Project can be accessed here.