Development of a close and trusting personal relationship between an adolescent and a professional worker can improve the quality of their collaboration and help the adolescent achieve their set goals more quickly. Furthermore, a close personal relationship within the collaboration significantly contributes to the process of empowering the adolescent. The collaboration between an adult and an adolescent, characterized as a mentoring relationship, has many beneficial effects for the adolescent due to the presence of an older person. The present master's thesis addresses the mentoring relationship between the author of this thesis and a 14-year-old adolescent. The study aims to determine the specific aspects of establishing a working relationship and personal connection between the adolescent and the researcher, the changes introduced by the implementation of an original working project into the collaboration, the process of empowering the adolescent, and the role of the researcher within the mentoring relationship with the adolescent. The personal relationship between the researcher and the adolescent developed spontaneously and gradually. The close and trusting personal relationship between them later facilitated the collaboration process, as the adolescent felt more relaxed within it, and the researcher had the opportunity to gain deeper insights into the adolescent's life world, which influenced the goal-setting process of the collaboration. Through the implementation process of the original working project, it was revealed that the adolescent's engagement in the collaboration depended primarily on whether the set collaboration goals genuinely reflected their real needs. Progression in skateboarding and the expansion and strengthening of the adolescent's natural social network proved to be crucial elements in the process of empowering the adolescent. The adolescent felt safer and more confident during moments of increased presence and proximity of the researcher. The researcher's ability to adapt and spontaneously and authentically respond to unusual situations during the collaboration often opened up opportunities for developing a personal connection with the adolescent or for advancing in skateboarding. The researcher's persistence in the relationship (and in organizing excursions that constituted the original working project) conveyed an important message to the adolescent that their collaboration was valued. Additionally, the researcher's self-reflection ability was an important tool through which they could develop their work.
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