Why I work with young people
Since it is #ChildrensMentalHealthWeek I thought I’d write about why I have decided to work with young people and their parents.
Close your eyes for a couple of seconds and observe what images come to mind when you think of the word “childhood”.
What did you see?
On average more people imagine laughing, running or playing children. Happy children.
I strongly believe that childhood and adolescence should be characterised by carefreeness and happiness. Just like what you probably just imagined. I believe that young people should be able to enjoy this time of their lives to the fullest. Growing up is all about finding out what you like, what you’re good at and finding out who you are, who you want to be. It’s a fascinating time in which change happens seemingly every second. There is a lot going on with school, friends, family, hobbies, our bodies. We have all been there!
Sometimes all this change can be overwhelming. Sometimes these exciting times of exploring the world we live in can be very turbulent times. Sometimes it can all be just too much. This, amongst other things, may then lead to anxiety, depression and other mental health difficulties. Mental health difficulties can rob you of the ability of being joyful, curious, sociable or happy, rob you of being fully alive.
When I was a teenager, I experienced mental health difficulties. It was a tough time because I felt that no one could understand me. It took a long time until I felt like I could talk to others about it and then it took even more time to find a professional who I liked and trusted. For years I wished to be able to be fully alive, to be able to live as happy and carefree as other teenagers around me. Because of my own lived experience of mental health difficulties when I was a teenager I know exactly how awful it can be. I do not wish this kind of feeling onto anyone! We all deserve to be happy and we should all have the ability to live life to the fullest.
Additionally, I believe that supporting young people as early as possible in developing skills to navigate life is important to facilitate healthy psycho-social development and to lower the likelihood future crises. Of course, there will always be times that are tough, however, high quality holistic Psychotherapy, (not simply a short course of 12 CBT Sessions to alleviate current symptoms) will equip young people with the skills and self-confidence they need to face future challenges head on and handle them successfully. I believe early intervention is better than late reaction.
Consider this analogy:
You are a boat and have hit a couple of rocks in the sea due to stormy weather. Rather than just telling you how to patch up the leaks I will also help you to navigate future storms better and how to react quickly and effectively to potential future damages to your boat.
Let me join you in your journey of navigating the seas of life.
