Here at CBT Professionals we know how teenage self-harm causes pain for the entire family. That is why we offer dedicated counselling services for parents and teenagers affected by self-harm. Our psychologists have been putting an end to self-harm for well over 10 years so we know what works and what doesn’t.
What does treatment involve?
Our teenage self-harm counselling program involves a combined strengths-based and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approach. In plain English that means that we use our vast range of skills and knowledge in the area to ask questions to find out what is behind the problems triggering the teenager’s harmful behaviour. We then devise a set of therapies to address the teenagers concerns that lead to self-harm, whilst we reinforce positive alternatives to self-harm. We support parents by providing tools on how to open up the family communication around self-harm and how parents can help their teens through their distress.
Why choose CBT Professionals?
All of our practitioners are selected based on a uniting set of values that define us as a truly caring practice. We stand against the practice of generic treatments and know that every case is unique and needs our best care and attention to craft a treatment approach specific to your situation.
What will it cost me?
Left untreated, teenage self-harm can become an addiction and like any other addiction, before long the behaviour needs to be further increased to get the same effects. Like the alcoholic that has to drink increasingly more to get the same effect, the self-harmer has to cut deeper, or do more damage to get the same release of endorphins in the brain. Getting help early is the best prevention against self harm addiction and escalation.
CBT Professionals charge a modest fee for service and we are aware that families in need shouldn’t have the added pressure of services that they can’t afford. To find out more about our fee structure you can look at our Fees page of our website linked here.
How does it work?
Your unique treatment plan is likely to be one involving a number of sessions. We wish that we could put an end to teenage self harm overnight but the truth is there are many factors to be addressed and this behaviour is just the tip of the iceberg. It isn’t until we get through the first few sessions that we can clearly see what is below the surface. Often there are a multitude of underlying issues including self-esteem and identity crises, relationship problems, body image issues, anxiety, and depression. For this reason, treating teenage self-harm typically involves more intensive treatment support including individual, family, and group treatments to support the whole family.
We encourage the parents of teenagers who self harm to recognise small step improvements every day by keeping a journal of positive and negative behaviours seen in their teens. Across time, you will see improvements in behaviour and reduced frequency of self-harm. Working with us you will learn how your behaviour effects your teenagers and you will be given strategies and techniques that we all can discuss and work together on as a team.
How we have helped other families: A case study
You might be interested in the following case study that we have put together from some of the other Mums and Dads we have helped through this very harrowing problem.
Case Study – The Marshalls
When the Marshalls came to our clinic, they were very concerned about their teenage daughter. They had noticed that she had been cutting herself, and had become more argumentative and withdrawn. Mr and Mrs Marshall didn’t know what was going on in their daughter’s personal world but Mrs Marshall was very anxious that the self-harm could lead to a suicide attempt, whilst Mr Marshall was quite upset and annoyed about the stress that his daughter’s behaviour was causing the family. Any attempt to try and talk about the self-harm was quickly shut down by the teenager, leading to further parent anxiety and stress.
Over several sessions of working with Ms Marshall, it became apparent that this young lady was struggling with her self belief and confidence, and had become very self-conscious around her peers. This had lead to an eating disorder, panic attacks, and social anxiety. She had turned to self-harming to cope with these overwhelming feelings, and at times, to punish herself for being “so incompetent”.
Over the course of six months, our psychologist worked individually with Ms Marshall to improve her self-esteem and coping through identifying and enhancing the teenager’s individual strengths. Mindfulness-based CBT coping skills were taught as an alternative to self-harm both individually and through Ms Marshall attending the “Mindful Warriors” resilience group (see link here for more information on this group). The family were provided information and training on how to improve family communications and relationships. Over time, the frequency of self-harm had significantly reduced to the occasional lapse and Ms Marshall had developed a healthy respect for herself and her body. At the end of six months, both teenager and parents reported being more satisfied with their home life and Ms Marshall was coping well with school and social life.
How to get started
To get started, please book your private consultation with our caring practice administration staff. Just phone (07) 5551 0330 or email us using the form on our Contact Us page linked here.