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

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

 

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.