The Wave Clinic offers specialist mental health support for children, adolescents, young adults, and families. Our programs are trauma-focused, emphasising the role that past and present experiences play in shaping young people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
Families are like systems of close relationships that develop, change, and affect one another. This means that the behaviours of one family member affect all
When a young person is self-harming, it’s normal for parents to be unsure what to do. But the most important thing to remember is that self-harm always requires support from a mental health professional. Regardless of the way a young person is self-harming, their communication, or your own emotions, you should seek professional help.
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’.
Suicide in the autism community is a national crisis that requires transformative social change. Research is helping us to understand why suicide is more common among autistic people and what we can do to change it.
Self-harm is a concerning behaviour exhibited by many young adults experiencing mental health difficulties. It is highly dangerous, and parents may not know how to
When I first meet the parents of a child or teen who self harms or self injures, I am confronted by fear, distress, sadness, confusion
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.
