Celebrating Young Mums event: thanks to all who attended!

A big thank you to all who attended our Celebrating Young Mums event last week! With reiki, massage, storytelling, raffle prizes and free advice and  information from over 15 local organisations, the day went down a storm with mums, kids and professionals alike.

Particular thanks go to joint organisers Direct Action Project at the Peel Centre and Mental Health Champions at Manor Gardens Centre for such a fun, interesting and creative day for all involved.

Here’s an glimpse of what they got up to…

Face painting proves popular

Artistry and puppet making

Kerri, our community development therapist, enjoys some hand art

Over 15 Islington organisations attended the event

Afternoon storytelling

Flower arranging for the adults

A relaxing massage

A display of bouquets

A happy customer

Calling all young mums!

Celebrating Young Mums: a happiness and wellbeing event for mums and kids

Thursday 7 March 2013

@ Lift 45 White Lion Street N1 9PW

Calling young mums in Islington!

The Women’s Therapy Centre is pleased to announce Celebrating Young Mums: a FREE happiness and wellbeing event for young mums and pre-school kids taking place at 11am-2pm on Thursday 7 March, Lift, 45 White Lion Street, N1 9PW.

Featuring storytelling, puppet making, face painting and a crèche for the kids, the event will allow mums to relax and enjoy a massage, reiki or health check, and learn simple relaxation techniques and DIY massage. Parents can also find out about healthy eating and keeping fit, along with local training and education opportunities.

Organised in conjunction with the Direct Action Project at the Peel Centre and Mental Health Champions at Manor Gardens Centre, Celebrating Young Mums will feature information stalls from local organisations who support children and families. Complimentary refreshments will also be provided for mums and kids.

Event Details:

When:    Thursday 7 March, 11am – 2pm

Where:   Lift , 45 White Lion Street, N1 9PW

Buses:    4, 19, 30, 38, 43, 56, 73, 153, 205, 214, 341, 476

Kerri Parke, community development therapist at the Women’s Therapy Centre, said: “Young people, and young mothers in particular, are often demonised in our society. This event aims to celebrate young motherhood – the achievements, the resourcefulness and inner strength that it takes for young people to raise their children in an appropriate way.

“We hope to support young women to return to work or education, to learn some tips around healthy eating and fitness as well as helping them think about their emotional wellbeing too. There will be lots of fun activities for mums and children alike, and a chance for mothers to relax and treat themselves.”

We’re looking for a new Psychotherapist

We’re looking for a new Psychotherapist! If you’re interested in joining the Women’s Therapy Centre, please visit ow.ly/h5X79

Time to talk

When the pressures and responsibilities of life get too much, it is easy to feel lonely or overwhelmed. It is also easy to feel that taking time for yourself is somehow self-indulgent or unnecessary.

But the fact is that looking after yourself and your mental wellbeing is vitally important, for you and for those around you. Simply talking to somebody about how you feel, especially someone who has gone through similar things, can make a world of difference.

Here at the Women’s Therapy Centre we are running group sessions for women aged 18 to 25 across central and west London (see details below). These FREE sessions will give women the opportunity to talk through any issues or problems they may have in a safe and supportive environment.

By meeting other people who are going through similar experiences, women can feel more able to find solutions or better ways of coping with their difficulties.

The group will also be an opportunity for young women to think about the things they do well, the strengths and resources they have as women, and how these strengths can be used to help them through stressful times.

The purpose of the sessions is to enable women to:

• become more able to feel, identify and express emotions
• be able to make connections, (for example between feelings and behaviour or between past and      present experiences) and gain a greater understanding of their behaviour
• learn about alternative ways to process and express emotions
• re-evaluate their perceptions of themselves and their past experiences, often leading to women becoming more self-accepting

To attend the sessions, you must be a women aged 18 to 25 and live in the following London boroughs: Camden, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, Brent, Barnet, City of London, Ealing, Harrow.

If you are interested in getting this kind of FREE support or you are a professional who wants to refer a young woman to the service, please get in touch using the details below:

The group starts on Thursday 10 January 2013 at 1pm – 2.30pm at our offices in Islington and runs for 6 weeks. To book a place, make an initial appointment or for further information, please contact Kerri Parke on 07988 676713 or kerriparke@womenstherapycentre.co.uk

 

Tackling childhood sexual abuse

We currently have spaces on a new psychotherapist-led group for women who have experienced childhood sexual abuse.

Sexual abuse can leave you feeling angry, alone, ashamed, depressed and lacking in confidence, years after the event. Group therapy can help with a range of emotional and relationship difficulties associated with childhood abuse. It offers the opportunity to participate in an open conversation where group members can confidentially explore difficult issues.

If you have experienced childhood sexual abuse and would like to speak about it in a safe and supportive environment, this may be the group for you.

The group will run weekly for one year on Tuesdays between 12pm and 1.30pm.

You either have to be a woman living in Islington or a woman aged 18 to 25 living in one of the following boroughs: Barnet, Brent, Camden, City of London, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Kensington & Chelsea or Westminster

Click here for more information.

Refugees and asylum seekers

We are running a community development project which offers psychotherapy for women who are refugees and asylum seekers.

Alongside therapy women can also access the support of the Centre’s link worker. She has provided practical information and advice on a range of issues and can signpost women to other more appropriate services.

Our community development therapist can go to community, voluntary and statutory organisations to give information about the work of the project and the Centre, and can meet directly with women to introduce them to the idea of psychotherapy.

Please email or phone 020 7263 6200 if you would like further information about psychotherapy for young refugee and asylum seeking women.

Interpreters are available when necessary and we can also help with childcare.

The Centre also provides training for front line workers and volunteers. This support is helpful in addressing one’s own support needs, develop insights and sharing experiences.

The community development psychotherapist can visit organisations to give information sessions or to provide ‘taster’ sessions which give women the opportunity to hear more about therapy.

Download Black and Minority Ethnic leaflet

Young women’s project

Are you a woman aged 18-25?

We all know life can get a bit much sometimes, whether we’ve had an argument with a friend, are fed up with work or study or are just feeling run down.

Here at the Women’s Therapy Centre in Islington we’re offering individual and group sessions for young women, providing a safe space for them to talk about their lives and let off steam.

Why not try our free introductory sessions where you can talk about anything from relationships to managing stress and improving self-confidence?

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, get in touch with Kerri on 07988 676713 or by email.

We look forward to hearing from you.

To access the Young Women’s Project, you must be resident in one of the following boroughs:

*Barnet, Brent, Camden, City of London, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster*

Why therapy?

“You go to therapy?! You don’t need that, just go shopping! That’ll make you feel better!”

“Therapy?! That’s for crazy people, right?”

“If I go to therapy, will they take my kids away?”

Comments like this tend not to encourage people to try therapy.

There are all sorts of preconceptions about therapy: what it is, who it’s for and how it can help.

Some of them are true: there is a massive shortage of free or affordable services provided by the voluntary sector, so when people say it’s a luxury they can’t afford, there is an element of truth to that.

There are also some very real cultural sensitivities need to be taken into account: there are some people who think that talking about your problems is simply not done – they don’t want strangers “knowing their business”.

There is still a huge stigma around mental health. Admitting you’re depressed or seeking help because you’re just not coping very well can still be a taboo.

Celebrities such as Catherine Zeta Jones, Stephen Fry, Andrew Flintoff and JK Rowling speaking publicly about their mental health problems can help  people realise that anybody can be affected,     but it can still be very difficult to acknowledge that help is needed.

Our community development projects try to reach women who are already involved with statutory or voluntary agencies in order to help them access emotional support.

We offer information sessions and workshops that get women used to the idea of talking about their emotions, breaking down the potential embarrassment around admitting they have problems.

We also offer a 6-week support group that focuses on breaking down the social isolation that young mothers in particular can face, as well as getting women used to the group dynamic. The third stage of our service is to offer women individual or group therapy at the centre for one year.

If you think you or someone you know could benefit from this type of emotional support, please contact Kerri on 07988 676713 or email on for more information.

Young mothers’ project

Are you a mother under 30?

Feeling down? Need to talk to someone?

We can help…

Try our free introductory sessions to talk about relationships, managing stress or improving your self-esteem

For more info text/call Kerri on 07988 676713 or email.

Please note: you must be resident in Islington to access this service.

Welcome to the blog

The  Women’s Therapy Centre is run by women, for women, and offers individual and group psychotherapy.

We also run community  development projects to enable women from communities that traditionally do not access therapy to learn more about mental health issues, how to access support, how to talk about their experiences and to learn the truth behind stigma and the myths that prevent women accessing mental health services.

If you would like  to access our services, please note that our waiting list for therapy is now  open for the followings:

• Refugees and Asylum Seeking women (all London  Boroughs)
• Women who wish to join a focus group – childhood  sexual abuse
• Women up to the age of 30 who are mothers and  live in Islington
• Women aged 18-25 who live in selected  London Boroughs (Barnet, Brent, Camden, City of London, Ealing, Hammersmith  & Fulham Harrow, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster)

Further information about making an appointment>>

Alternatively, our private psychotherapy referral service can help you find a psychotherapist in private practice. We provide a comprehensive initial  assessment with an experienced psychotherapist and a referral to a psychotherapist in private practice whose clinical work is well regarded by the Centre.

Click here for more information

For further  information about accessing therapy, please contact appointments@womenstherapycentre.co.uk or call 020 7263  6200

Telephone line  opening times:

Monday          10:00am – 12:00pm

Tuesday          5:30pm – 7:30pm

Wednesday    5:30pm – 7:30pm

If  you call us outside these opening times, please leave a message with your name  and telephone number and we will contact you.

To  obtain further information about our Community Development Projects, please  contact us at enquiries@womenstherapycentre.co.uk or or call 020  7263 7860 or click  here to read more about our projects