Eating Disorders Awareness Week
Over the last 12 months, we have seen a rise in children being referred to us with disordered eating. Having found group work a useful intervention in the past, we started our Balance Me project which supports a group of 13-18 year olds to build physical and mental wellbeing tools for life. The project helps attendees with confidence, body image, healthy eating, fitness and self-worth.
We spoke to Lucy Blazheva, the Dance Movement Psychotherapist who leads Balance Me, about why the project exists and the impact it’s had on the young people who attend.
“Groups, notoriously challenge our fundamental sense of belonging in the wider world. With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country lived in a state of universal unknown, jet-propelling us into a state of survival. As we continue to return to "normal", individuals are understandably requiring longer periods of time to relearn relational and social skills.
For many, if not all, meaningful relationships are built on safety and trust, perhaps residing at the heart of that connection is the capacity to let ourselves fully immerse into the experiences of reengaging with people face-to-face. Ultimately, we are reawakening our senses through socialisation and responding to others in the here-and-now. This is at the heart of our work within Balance Me.
What has materialised in the work, for me as a psychodynamic Dance Movement Psychotherapist, is the impact the pandemic has had on a predisposition towards social anxiety. We might see this in strained relationships with eating and self-care, i.e. isolation/withdrawal/reduced attention to: hunger pangs-exercise-eating regularly-going out.
As I allow my reflections to filter into the essence and group structure, the work thus far, has focused on grounding and stabilisation. In addition, including fitness and mindfulness techniques, modelling the importance in sustaining a healthy body-mind-heart, by listening to our basic human needs.
Socialisation and peer support unifies this group, in promoting group members to believe that they are truly not alone, and that whilst their experiences will always remain unique, the overarching headlines, are relatable to others. Therefore, we work to support and encourage emotional regulation, for individuals to function in the here-and-now, whilst connecting to the body and engaging meaningfully with others.”
Mentoring
Refer a young person for Mentoring.
The Voice
Young people talking about youth mental health.
Wellbeing Day
Let’s talk about ‘good mental wellbeing’