Laura Fitzpatrick Adult & Adolescent Counselling & Psychotherapy

24/10/2020

29/08/2019

14/08/2019

A huge congratulations to all the students who received their leaving cert results yesterday!!!! Such a big achievement to have completed it!!! Well done!!

While it is a very exciting time for most students for others it is fraught with disappointment as the realisation of not getting the points required for their chosen college or course sinks in. It can be a tumultuous time for both parents and their child and so knowing how to support them through this stage can be very beneficial.

Below is an article published in the Irish Times to help parents support their child through this challenging juncture.

If you feel that your child needs further support to understand and deal with their emotions around this please contact me via fb messenger or directly on 086 3791283 to arrange an appointment.

A child’s worst fear may be disappointing their parents, so don’t confirm that they have

07/08/2019

This is a really good read if u are concerned about the link between depression and your teens screen time. It advocates taking a holistic approach to understanding why your child is experiencing symptoms of depression than simply blaming the amount of screen time they undertake. For example , family life, school, relationships with friends, traumatic events such as the death of a loved one etc.

It challenges the notion that screen time causes mental health issues and suggests that the rise in mental health problems amongst our youth is due to a growing awareness and social dialogue that did not exist before. It does not advocate teens spending hours and hours on their screens but suggests that it is part of the norm of teen culture today.

Blaming smartphones and social media for mental health issues in teens distracts from deeper problems

30/07/2019

We all develop at different times and in different ways. Putting language on our feelings is one of the developmental processes of adolescence. This study is conducive to my experience working with adolescents struggling with this part of their emotional experience. Supporting teenagers to identify, name and appropriately express their feelings can alleviate the symptoms of depression and empowers individuals to make sense of their experiences. However, that being said, sometimes words are not enough and employing creativity such as artwork, music, sculpture etc can also really help young people contextualise what is going on for them.

According to new research from scientists with Emory University and the University of Rochester, teens who can describe negative emotions “in precise and nuanced ways” are more likely to stave off depression compared to those who can’t.

26/06/2019

Trauma can leave a significant and lifelong impact on a person and it can shape a person's self belief. Beliefs such as, I am helpless, I am hopeless, I am such a coward, I am worthless, I am un-loveable. It can occur from a number of ways including sexual, physical, emotional abuse, neglect, bereavement, loss, financial loss, suffering an accident, witnessing an accident and much more.
In the below article the author discusses how after trauma such beliefs can be stored by a person without the context to separate them from the traumatic event and as a result shapes a person's belief in themselves and their lives. In many cases trauma then becomes a "seed to depression'.

Depression is often rooted in experiences of trauma: how they affect an individual's beliefs and identity, and the behaviors that become coping mechanisms.

15/05/2019

School Exams can be stressful for both parents and their children so...
...for all you parents out the who have teenagers undertaking exams in the coming weeks, check out the below article which has some helpful tips on how you can help support your child through this stressful period.

Please get in contact to arrange an appointment if you or your child needs some extra support around managing their emotions during this anxiety provoking time. Contact details can be found on the fb page.

11/05/2019

Darkness into Light...a true testiment to verify, let it not be su***de that ends the darkness but the love and support of others to guide u to the light within....

"When inward tenderness finds the secret hurt pain itself will crack the rock and...ah ! Let the soul emerge. "

Rumi

07/05/2019

This article was published last year and still waiting lists continue....adolescents being admitted to adult psychiatric units is a clear sign there is insufficient understanding of the needs of adolescents in our mental health system and the failure of this system is having a direct impact on our young people.

-harm

Seventy children of school-going age died by su***de last year as mental health professionals begged for more staff.

23/04/2019

If anyone you know is struggling with anxiety or any other emotional difficulties, please contact us. Seeking the right help and support can make all the difference in a child's life.

Contact us here for support..