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The I Can Centre is "A Kinder Society" initiative promoting respect care & compassion
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TeenSPIRE™ aims to support and inspire young people towards the best and finest version of themselves. Teens need this support because they face significant challenges and demands, quite different to those experienced by previous generations (who often can remember their youth as being at least relatively idyllic). The current generation of young people have access to information and technology on an unprecedented scale. The nature of the information itself can mean:
Yet by gaining supports and coping strategies early, and ideally before these are really needed, confidence can improve and young people enabled to make better choices for themselves and their futures. This is important when prevention is less costly than treatment; when drugs and alcohol are widely available as alternative coping strategies; and when our health services are in crisis or struggling.
Our early range of psychology interventions include:
To find out more, please talk to us in confidence, or keep checking our website and social media for events and activities. We would also encourage parents to attend our adult “Stress Busters” course so that they have the same CBT techniques and insights as do their children. This can be important in helping parents manage their stress, while also reinforcing healthy and affirming coping strategies at home and with their children.
As part of keeping young people safe, parents may need to have a discussion about sexting with their teenage children. These need to know that sending explicit photos to peers/others can have serious consequences - the potential for embarrassment, bullying and blackmail; and a criminal record as it is a criminal offence to forward any explicit photos to an individual / or group of individuals under 18 years - including peers.
At worst, any consequences are absoloutely surmountable; more info here.
"Teen Stress Busters" is an informal group CBT course we offer that is aimed at school-goers aged 14-18 years. It takes place over 5-6 weeks, and offers young people insights and techniques to manage/prevent stress (an umbrella word for lots of different mood states incl low mood, panic, and social anxiety). This fun course is educational rather than counselling, so at no point will attendees be asked to talk about how they are feeling in front of others. Instead, all information will be on slides and handouts [more information].
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, or CBT, is an advanced type of counselling/therapy that we use to help young people manage depression, and/or any of a range of anxiety problems (incl social anxiety, panic, phobias, stress, and worry). On offer with CBT is:
NOTE: We typically need parental consent when offering 1-1 CBT support to those under age 18 years of age. Additionally, and where possible, parents are encouraged to attend (even some) sessions alongside their teen.
We also offer a range of supports to help young people build their confidence in a range of settings and contexts. These supports include training in mindfulness, and membership of "Young DAKtivists" (like-minded young people committing to daily acts of kindness, which begins with self-care, and can extend to acts of kindness and thoughtfulness within their families and schools.)
Our fun and informal TeenSPIRE™ community courses aim to inspire and support school-going young people aged 14-18 years, from all backgrounds, cultures etc. Courses can be taken for information and prevention if not support. However, 1-1 supports may be more suitable for any teen in crisis, or depressed. If unsure, please talk to us in confidence, and any others as needed incl parents.
For younger children aged 10-14 years, we recommend 1-1 CBT (with at least one parent also attending).