Fiona Yassin is the International Program Director at The Wave, holding multiple credentials including being a registered Psychotherapist and Accredited Clinical Supervisor in both the U.K. and UNCG (Registration number #361609 National and International Council of Psychotherapists). She is EMDR trained (EMDRIA) and practices as a Trauma therapist (Registration number #10000054651).
Fiona’s expertise includes being a member of the International Chapter of IAEDP, with training in CBTe (Oxford Group), FREED (King’s College, London), TF-CBT, RO-DBT, and GPM. Her specializations cover the treatment of Eating Disorders and Borderline Personality Disorder, as well as families in High Conflict Divorces and Psychiatry across the female lifespan.
Additionally, Fiona holds the distinction of being a Fellow of APPCH, a senior accredited Addiction Professional, and a member of The Association of Child Protection Professionals. She is also trained in MBT (Child and Family and Adult) and Reflective Parenting with The Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families, and is a Member of The Australia and New Zealand Eating Disorders Association.
Fiona holds an MSc in Neuroscience and Mental Health awarded by King’s College London, where she received The Dean’s Award. She is currently completing an MSc in Psychiatry at Cardiff University Medical School and is a PhD Candidate in Mental Health Research at Lancaster University. Outside of her professional pursuits, she enjoys spending time with her three cats, going for long walks on the beach, and appreciating the beautiful animals in her garden.
Young people with all body shapes and weights can have eating disorders. Eating disorders are complex psychological conditions characterised by harmful attitudes and behaviours, such as restrictive eating, binge eating, and body dissatisfaction. Disordered eating behaviours can happen regardless of a person’s weight or what their body looks like.
While eating disorders are complex conditions, they are treatable. With the right support, young people can recover and enjoy a healthy, fulfilling future. Treatment providers who have experience working with autistic people can adapt therapy sessions and other approaches to ensure that treatment is comfortable and welcoming for each individual.
Depression is a mental health disorder that interferes with a young person’s daily life and ability to do the things they normally would. It’s often difficult for a young person with depression to feel better without additional support. However, effective treatment can help young people to recover, make positive changes, and enjoy life.
Perfectionism – and particularly socially-prescribed perfectionism – is a common characteristic of young people with BPD and associated with a range of borderline personality traits.
In Saudi Arabia, young people make up the majority of the population. Around a quarter of its residents are between the ages of 15 and
As with other parts of the Arab world, eating disorders have increased in Saudi Arabia in recent years. The prevalence of eating disorders and disordered eating behaviours is now worryingly high, with studies showing that around 7% of Saudi adolescents and young adults have an eating disorder.
Boarding school syndrome isn’t an official medical diagnosis. Instead, it’s a collection of learned behaviours and attitudes that are common to many people who have attended boarding school.
Young people with mental health disorders are more likely to miss school than those without. These absences may, in turn, make their mental health worse, leading to a vicious downward cycle. However, effective mental health support and interventions can help young people manage and recover from symptoms and spend more time in school, turning a downward cycle into a positive journey of recovery.
Young people with borderline personality disorder often experience episodes of paranoia and feelings of suspicion towards other people. These experiences can cause distress and affect
Children learn a lot from their parents through observing, analysing, and adopting their behaviours. This includes eating attitudes and behaviours, whether they are positive or
Despite the prevalence of teen drug use in the UAE, widespread prevention strategies are still lacking. Both adolescents and experts highlight the need for school-based prevention programs and parental support to help young people stay safe and identify and support young people who may be using substances harmfully.
In this blog, we offer some information about the impact of compulsive sexual behaviours on children and the family system as a whole. We outline The Wave Clinic’s pioneering family and child intensives that offer unique and valuable support for young people affected by sex addiction.
Dialectical behavioural therapy is a type of talking therapy originally designed for adults with borderline personality disorder. Since then, it has been adapted for treatment among adolescents and offered for a wide range of mental health concerns, including eating disorders, self-harm, and emotional dysregulation. Usually delivered in outpatient settings, studies have shown that DBT is highly effective in improving young people’s mental health symptoms and quality of life.
