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.
Autism is not a mental health problem. But some autistic young people experience challenges with their mental health – and research shows they’re more likely to than people who are not autistic.
Eating disorders are one type of mental health disorder that seem to affect autistic young people more than other people. Young autistic people may show different disordered eating behaviours, such as using food to cope with emotions or placing a lot of their self-value on body shape or weight.
When we think of eating disorders, we usually associate them with Western perceptions of an ‘ideal’ body. For a feminine body, Western ideals typically promote
Adehonia – the loss or reduced ability to experience pleasure – can affect young people for a variety of reasons. It may be precipitated by loss or grief, times of stress, or other distressing situations.
When young people are living with unprocessed trauma, it can affect every part of their self. Young people have described feeling like everything is dark,
While eating disorders and social anxiety can be debilitating for young people, the good news is that both disorders are treatable. With the right support, teenagers and adolescents can manage and recover from difficult symptoms and lead fulfilling lives.
ender norms are a society’s ideas and expectations about how people of different genders should act and relate to each other. In most communities, gender norms help to maintain a system of hierarchy where what is seen as male and masculine is given power and privilege while females and other gender identities are marginalised.
Dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) is a type of cognitive behavioural therapy that teaches young people to accept their emotions while changing unhelpful ways of behaving or thinking. This blog offers some information on how DBT works, which conditions it can treat, and how it can support young people to build brighter futures.
In the past few years, swimming has emerged as a promising treatment for both children and adults with ADHD. Swimming may help young people to improve their cognitive skills, behaviour, academic performance, and mental health. Swimming sessions also leave space for creative thought and free practice without recurring exercises, offering an interesting and engaging experience for young people.
Hallucinations and delusions are some of the lesser-known – and less often discussed – symptoms of BPD. While research shows that these experiences are common among young people with the disorder, conversations and awareness about the connection are still lacking. In assessments and treatment, they are also often overlooked.
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.
