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.
Language has a big effect on the way young people understand, experience, and express their emotions. When it comes to mental health support, languages are a tool to identify and express feelings through a process of healing and positive change.
Social exclusion and peer rejection can have serious consequences for young people’s mental health, leading to emotional and behavioural problems and low self-esteem. Social exclusion that is based on prejudice or bias is particularly damaging.
It’s normal for any young person to have phases of selective eating or specific requirements about how and where they eat their food. But research suggests that autistic young people may experience eating difficulties more often or more persistently than young people who are not autistic.
Autistic young people often experience food aversion, especially related to a food’s texture, taste, or other senses. While food aversion isn’t always a problem, it can lead to malnutrition and other health problems, especially when entire food groups are avoided.
In recent years, many international schools have developed exceptional pastoral and counselling schemes to support young people struggling with their mental health. However, in many cases, these systems still can’t offer the level of care some young people need.
When families move from one country and society to another, they can experience both opportunities and challenges. Growing up abroad can teach young people to be open-minded, flexible, and aware of the world.
Research shows that young people who are bullied are more likely to develop several mental health disorders, including eating disorders, anxiety, and depression. Bullying is associated with serious symptoms of mental health problems including violent behaviour, self-harm, and psychosis.
Temporary separation from parents in early childhood can have a big effect on a young person’s development. It can cause psychological stress with a lasting impact and affect the way a young person forms and maintains relationships in the future.
For a parent, a child’s academic achievement might seem like a simple and easy measure of their well-being. You might assume that a strong performance in academics is underpinned by stable mental health, self-confidence and self-esteem, and supportive relationships with friends.
It’s okay for young people to want to do well at school, whether that’s in exams, sports, or other activities. Setting high targets can be motivating and help some adolescents to realise their potential. But when standards become exceedingly high, it can start to affect a young person’s well-being – particularly if they tend to focus on their mistakes and are self-critical when standards are not met.
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.
