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.
Self-harming behaviours are common among adolescents, and particularly teenage girls. Self-harm is usually a way to try and manage intense and distressing feelings that can feel too much for a young person to handle. Self-harm should always be taken seriously and never minimised as a ‘phase’ or ‘attention-seeking’.
Many young people experience grief before they reach adulthood. Grief isn’t a mental health condition; it’s a normal response to loss that most people will
Mental health concerns are common among young people living in Dubai and the rest of the UAE. Adolescents and young adults may experience a range of mental health disorders, including anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and depression. These conditions affect their well-being, quality of life, and future mental health.
IOPs provide opportunities for focused and comprehensive support that addresses the underlying causes of eating disorders. Young people in IOPs have the space and time to work through the multiple aspects of eating disorders, carefully navigating their complexities. Outside of sessions, they can practice and generalise skills they learn in their daily lives.
Over-exercise can harm the body and cause low mood, mood swings, anxiety, and fatigue. It can be an unhelpful coping mechanism that makes problems worse while avoiding confronting the real causes of emotional distress.
Social media has a big influence on most young people’s lives. Teenagers and young adults often spend several hours a day on social media, sharing information and photos, looking through other people’s posts, and communicating with comments and messages.
Adolescents and young adults with eating disorders also tend to perceive their own bodies as different to their ‘ideal’ body shape. These ideals are typically unrealistic and unhealthy for most people. In general, women idealise a small body and low body weight, while men may idealise a muscular and lean body shape.
Mental health disorders are common in Mexico. Around 40% of young people may have had a mental health disorder in the past year, affecting their
Eating disorders are often thought of as a type of ‘internalising problem’ that is rooted in difficult emotions and unhelpful coping mechanisms. They’re linked to feelings of low self-esteem, perfectionism, and interpersonal problems, traits that may be shaped by parents’ attitudes and behaviours.
Divorce and unhealthy parental relationships can have a profound effect on young people. They’re linked to emotional and behavioural mental health problems both during adolescence and young adulthood. This means that supporting parents undergoing conflict – and helping young people manage its consequences – should be a priority.
Witnessing violence can be a traumatic experience for a young person, whether they see the event in person or online. Exposure to violence can lead to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, fear, panic, and other psychological distress. They may feel helpless, hopeless, and out of control.
Having BPD doesn’t mean there is something wrong with a young person’s personality. BPD traits can usually be understood as a normal response to difficult life events, which, at some point, helped a young person cope with and survive their experiences. However, these mechanisms make it hard to function in everyday life.
Collaborative treatment is one of the core elements of adolescent mental health care and an important protector of young people’s rights. However, it’s not always clear – for both parents, young people, and clinicians – what collaborative treatment means in practice.
