Effective treatment of involuntary admitted adolescents is endangered by some common pitfalls. Overidentification with the adolescent together with a fear to introduce enough structure and to use adult values is one of them. A negative attitude or no attention at all by the therapist towards the family of origin is another pitfall, as nearly all adolescents have a strong, allthough often manifestly negative, bond with and an intensive loyalty to their family. Severely disturbed adolescents not only have emotional and relational problems, but need remedial teaching as well. In our treatment we have to look after ageappropriate aspects too. Finally the risk of closing our eyes for the subculture at the clinic is discussed. Lack of feeling for that dimension can lead to unexpected acting-out.