Fiona Yassin

Fiona Yassin, MSEd

International Program Director at The Wave

Expertise Psychology, Child Psychology, Personality, Research, Trauma, Eating Disorders

Highlights

Registered Psychotherapist and Accredited Clinical Supervisor in both the U.K. and UNCG.
Member of the International Chapter of IAEDP, with training in CBTe (Oxford Group), FREED (King’s College, London), TF-CBT, RO-DBT, and GPM.
Member of The Australia and New Zealand Eating Disorders Association.

Experience

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.

More from Fiona Yassin

Group of multiethnic young friends walking through the city laughing holding each other

Are Difficulties in Teen Friendships Associated with Worsening Mental Health?

11 April 2025 No Comments

Unsurprisingly, adolescent friendships are linked to mental health. Young people with at least one friendship have higher self-worth and less depression. Those with high-quality friendships or more friends are less likely to experience emotional distress or social difficulties. Even a small number of high-quality friendships can also act as a buffer against wider social difficulties like a lack of acceptance from peers.

happy smiling family of girl and mother at home, concept of teenage mental health

Misogyny and Teen Mental Health: What Every Parent Needs to Know

7 April 2025 No Comments

Put simply, misogyny is hate against women and girls. It can be found across different parts of society: among adults and young people, at home,

mother discussing troubles with her daughter, concept of teen mental health

How Do Compulsive Sexual Behaviours in Families Impact Teen Mental Health?

3 April 2025 No Comments

When a parent engages in compulsive sexual behaviours, it creates harm throughout the family. Families can be understood as systems, where the behaviour of one

mother and daughter bonding in a cafe, concept of family relationships

How Does Unresolved Trauma in the Family Underpin Mental Health Conditions Including AN and BPD?

27 March 2025 No Comments

When families experience trauma, it changes the way family members relate to one another and affects the family system as a whole. Sometimes, families are able to resolve their trauma, especially if they already have a strong and supportive family system. In other cases, unresolved trauma causes long-term harm to relationships and interactions between family members. This disrupts young people’s emotional and social learning and can cause them to develop unhelpful or harmful thought patterns and behaviours as they attempt to cope with what they experience and observe.

father and son spending time together, concept of family support for teenage mental health

Family Conflict: Protecting Children from Harm

24 March 2025 No Comments

Avoiding hostility and aggression – and finding healthy ways to resolve conflicts – are the best ways to protect children from harm. But there are also steps you can take to prevent behavioural, psychological, and social issues from developing among young people if hostile family conflicts do occur.

Female psychologist consulting with depressed teenage girl at office, adolescent mental health

Why Isn’t Adult Psychiatry or General Psychiatry the Best Choice for Kids?

20 March 2025 No Comments

Specialist mental health programs for young people are sensitive to their developmental and social needs. They adapt treatment programs and modalities to each young person’s developmental stage, whether that’s childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood.

Toy on table in counsellor's office, concept of childhood trauma and mental health

The Impact of Parental Affairs on Children and Adolescents

17 March 2025 No Comments

Parental affairs are usually considered to be a serious breaking of the commitments of a relationship. They can give rise to a collection of emotions for both partners, including sadness, disappointment, betrayal, guilt, and shame. Parental affairs are linked to tension, conflict, and the breakdown of relationships.

mother and daughter teenager sitting together on couch at home, concept of teenage mental health

Mental Health in Jakarta: Why Is Looking After Child and Adolescent Mental Health So Important?

13 March 2025 No Comments

Many young people in Jakarta experience challenges with their mental health. However, most of those with mental health disorders aren’t receiving treatment. There are many barriers to mental health care, including service availability and busy schedules. But one of the most important is a tendency to not seek help in the first place.

smiling father and son, concept of parental support through teenage mental health struggles

Recovering from Borderline Personality Disorder and Anorexia in Oman: How Can Parents Seek Support?

10 March 2025 No Comments

Oman is a high-income country in the Gulf region – and most of its population is young. But, while mental health problems are common among adolescents and young adults, specialist services are lacking. There are very few institutions that offer mental healthcare to young people and many internal and external barriers to seeking help.

teenage girl standing by the school corridor, alone and isolation concept

How Does Borderline Personality Disorder Affect Young People’s Relationships?

7 March 2025 No Comments

Relationships are a core dimension of BPD traits and experiences. Young people with BPD often experience a fear of abandonment that leads to intense, close partnerships and sudden breakups. They may switch between seeing a friend or romantic partner as ‘all good’ and ‘all bad’, creating volatility and instability.

Young friends talking standing outdoors on the street. Friendship concept.

Peer Difficulties in Adolescent Mental Health – When Online and Offline Friendships Can Spell Disaster

20 March 2026

Peer victimisation, often referred to as bullying, is a type of interpersonal violence or harm that takes place between friends or peers. Peer victimisation can involve physical violence, verbal insults, emotional manipulation, or relational harm, such as spreading rumours or social exclusion.

Close-up of a young woman in casual clothes sitting on the floor in front of a cork board

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Teens

16 March 2026

OCD is a serious mental health disorder that can have a big impact on a teenager’s daily life. However, it is treatable, and with the right support, young people can reach full recovery.

Sad Schoolgirl Sitting Against Brick Wall In School Campus

Fiona Yassin on Adolescent Eating Disorders: What Parents Need to Understand

13 March 2026

When a young person develops an eating problem, seeking professional support is the first step. It’s very difficult for someone to recover from an eating problem on their own, and treatment and support are crucial for both the young person and their family.