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.
In Bengaluru and other parts of India, mental health problems are common among children and adolescents. Mental health issues have a variety of causes but social conditions and experiences often play a big role.
With accurate diagnosis of the condition and accessible treatment, young people can manage and recover from the disorder. However, finding accurate and reliable diagnoses isn’t always easy, especially since symptoms of OCD can be very similar to those of other disorders. This means that the process of differential diagnosis – distinguishing between multiple disorders that may have similar symptoms – is very important.
Given the mental health consequences of unaddressed trauma among young people, it’s important that they quickly receive effective treatment. Trauma-informed treatments support young people to recover from the effects of trauma and help prevent negative consequences for their development and well-being.
As much as family systems can be fundamental in the development of BPD, they may also be crucial it’s treatment and recovery, especially among adolescents and young adults. Family interventions can help to establish family structures, parenting skills, and interpersonal family dynamics that lead to more stable interpersonal relationships, better emotional regulation, and fewer self-harming behaviours.
The Wave Clinic offers the specialist, expert-led mental healthcare that young people need to recover from mental health problems and build fulfilling futures. It offers residential programs for adolescents from Mumbai and other parts of the world, providing a safe and supported environment focused on building life advantage.
When a young person has a mental illness, it has a big effect on their daily life. Managing and recovering from mental health disorders can take a lot of time and energy. Mental health disorders may affect their relationships, school or work, and plans for the future.
Research suggests that young people in affluent communities are more likely to develop certain mental health problems than those in middle-class communities, or compared to the national average.
Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that usually develop during adolescence. They are complex disorders that have a pervasive effect on a young person’s life, affecting their mental and physical health, relationships with friends and family, emotional and social development, and performance at school.
While borderline personality disorder is most often diagnosed during late adolescence, BPD doesn’t just suddenly develop. Instead, scientists think that interactions of certain biological features – particularly impulsivity and emotional sensitivity – with childhood experiences like social invalidation and trauma lead to the development of BPD.
If your child has an eating disorder, it’s normal to feel worried and concerned. Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that can harm a young person’s mental and physical health, relationships, and social life. But they are also treatable and, with the right support, young people can recover and reclaim a healthy life.
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.
