Empowering Teenagers: Navigating the Maze of Mental Health Together
In today's fast-paced and ever-changing world, the mental well-being of our teenagers has never been more crucial. As they navigate the challenges of growing up, it's essential that we provide them with the support and tools they need to thrive emotionally and mentally.
Post covid research has indicated that our teenagers have an increase in feeling isolated, anxious and overwhelmed and amplified stress at home and in their community.
New findings from a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health shed light on how adolescents living through the COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying shutdowns compare, both psychologically and biologically, to their peers before the pandemic. The study led by Ian Gotlib, Ph.D. , at Stanford University, the study is one of the first to examine the effects of the pandemic not only on adolescents’ mental health but also on their brain structure, reflecting more lasting effects of adversity.
“ Compared to the pre-pandemic group, adolescents assessed after the pandemic shutdowns reported more symptoms of anxiety and depression and greater internalizing problems. Their brains showed thinning of the cortex, which helps execute mental processes like planning and self-control, and reduced volume in the hippocampus and amygdala, which are involved in accessing memories and regulating responses to fear and stress, respectively.
Moreover, based on their cortical and subcortical features, the post-shutdown group had older brain ages than adolescents assessed before the pandemic. Their brains showed neuroanatomical features more typical of older people or those who experienced chronic stress or adversity in childhood.
This study has important scientific and societal implications. First, researchers conducting longitudinal studies that span the pandemic will have to contend with its possible impact on participants’ mental and physical health and be careful when making pre- to post-pandemic comparisons that assume normative development is unchanged. On a societal level, the results suggest that, at least in the short term, adolescents are experiencing greater levels of depression and anxiety and may need mental health care to help them cope. Moreover, measurable changes in brain development suggest that they may also benefit from other services, such as those supporting cognitive processes or emotion regulation.”
Why is this so important?
Mental health affects every aspect of a teenager's life, including their academic performance, relationships, and overall well-being. By prioritizing their mental health, we can help them to overcome obstacles, build resilience, and cultivate a pathway to navigate their own mental health
So how can I help?
I am here to emphasize the importance of nurturing and safeguarding our teenagers' mental health. With specialized certification in Neurochange and other trained practices I can help teenagers dealing with anxiety, depression, and helping them unlock their self-limiting beliefs to create a journey towards a happier and more fulfilling life.
I am committed to providing personalized support to your teenager. Through can empathetic approach, I can help them unpack any negative patterns that hinder their self-belief and work with them to provide practical strategies to cope as they work towards developing confidence and self-worth.
Here's how I can make a positive impact on your teenager's mental well-being:
Expertise in Anxiety and Depression: I am trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression, enabling me to offer practical strategies and coping techniques tailored to your teenager's unique needs.
Unpacking Negative Patterns: Together, we can explore the underlying causes of self-doubt and negative thinking patterns, helping your teenager break free from limiting beliefs and develop a more positive mindset.
Building Resilience: Life can throw unexpected challenges at our teenagers. By equipping them with resilience-building skills, I can empower them to bounce back from setbacks, cope with stress, and navigate the ups and downs of being a teenager.
Cultivating Self-Belief: Through a combination of supportive guidance and empowering exercises, I can help your teenager develop a strong belief in themselves, unlock their potential, and pursue their dreams with confidence. Becoming a trusted advocate for them.
My own story:
Having a journey of eating issues anxiety and ADHD myself. Learning differently within a school framework that only taught one way and overcame that.
Working with a teenager and assisting through her an eating disorder that took over her life for 3.5 years. Coming through an intense divorce and navigating strategies to help teenagers come to terms with living with the change in environment and loss of family security.
Who do I work with?
9 – 19 year olds
Sessions are 50 minutes and can either be online or face to face in my Nelson studio and are offered at $147 incl gst (which is a starting rate for the first 3 months).