Self Harm Understanding, Recognising and Helping

Self-harm describes a wide range of behaviours in which young people deliberately inflict harm upon themselves, or invite harm to occur to them. Professionals working with young people frequently feel unprepared to work with self-harming behaviour.

This seminar will help participants to understand the experience and motivations of adolescents who intentionally injure themselves and will focus on practical strategies that can help on both individual and organisational levels.

Participants will leave this seminar with increased insight regarding self-harm behaviour in youth and with increased skills, resources and confidence for supporting, helping and treating young people who self-harm.

The main areas that will be discussed include:
- Understanding the meaning and purpose of self-harm.
- What are the risk factors and warning signs and how to respond when it becomes apparent that a young person is self harming.
- How to assess presentations of self-harm, including risk assessment and management plans
- Developing and implementing organisational resources, including school protocols, for detecting and managing self-harm.
- An overview of the most effective clinical strategies and evidence-based interventions for young people who are self-harming.
- The issue of contagion
- Identifying and managing personal attitudes and reactions to self-harm behaviour

Dr Angela Dixon is Clinical Research Director and Senior Clinical Psychologist at the Department of Psychological Medicine at Westmead Children’s Hospital in Sydney. Angela has over 20 years experience working with emotionally troubled children and adolescents in both Australia and the USA.

She received her education at the University of Melbourne, Harvard University and the University of Sydney. In addition to working with young people who engage in self-harming behaviours, her areas of interest include trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder and refugee mental health.

Angela’s vast knowledge in this area, when combined with her interactive and engaging teaching style and thoughtful use of case study material, mean that this seminar will be extremely useful for anyone working, teaching or supporting adolescents who self-harm.