Self Harm

Self-harm is an extreme form of suffering. It typically emerges within a young person who lacks the resources or support to express emotional suffering in any other way. It tends to be done in secret. It does not feel a choice, it feels a necessity.

For parents and teachers, this is a frightening reality from which we feel excluded and helpless. In addition, the self-harm often occurs in secrecy, either because of shame or isolation, often both.

The first step in the healing journey is to create a safe space where the feelings and triggers of self-harm can emerge and be shared and understood. Only when we find an adult who can contain this form of mental distress, can a young person’s story be fully heard and reworked

Recovery with this manifestation of emotional pain is slow and requires a trusting, safe relationship where new strategies for coping are experimented with and we can reframe our relationship with our toughest feelings.