Adolescence and early adulthood are times in life where there are many exciting challenges and changes to experience. At the same time, these periods in life can also come with great stress, pressure and uncertainty and navigating the many twists and turns can feel overwhelming. It’s important to give attention to supporting good mental health and well-being at a young age as learning the skills and tools to cope with the ups and downs of life will help set the stage for well-being in adulthood.

Youth can face many challenges:

• Peer and social issues
• Dating and intimate relationships
• Identity exploration
• Family relationships
• School, work and future pressures
• Understanding and managing mood and emotions
• Substance Use/Misuse
• Self-harm/Suicidal Concerns
• Anxiety/Depression/Mental Health Concerns
• Adverse/Traumatic life experiences

The most common comment I’ve heard from parents of young people is “my kid won’t talk to me!”. Although this can be baffling and sometimes painful for parents, the most important thing is that they are talking to someone they can trust about the things that may be causing them distress. I have many years of experience working with youth and young adults in various settings and I would love to help.