Fiona Yassin is the International Program Director at The Wave, holding multiple credentials including being a registered Psychotherapist and Accredited Clinical Supervisor in both the U.K. and UNCG (Registration number #361609 National and International Council of Psychotherapists). She is EMDR trained (EMDRIA) and practices as a Trauma therapist (Registration number #10000054651).
Fiona’s expertise includes being a member of the International Chapter of IAEDP, with training in CBTe (Oxford Group), FREED (King’s College, London), TF-CBT, RO-DBT, and GPM. Her specializations cover the treatment of Eating Disorders and Borderline Personality Disorder, as well as families in High Conflict Divorces and Psychiatry across the female lifespan.
Additionally, Fiona holds the distinction of being a Fellow of APPCH, a senior accredited Addiction Professional, and a member of The Association of Child Protection Professionals. She is also trained in MBT (Child and Family and Adult) and Reflective Parenting with The Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families, and is a Member of The Australia and New Zealand Eating Disorders Association.
Fiona holds an MSc in Neuroscience and Mental Health awarded by King’s College London, where she received The Dean’s Award. She is currently completing an MSc in Psychiatry at Cardiff University Medical School and is a PhD Candidate in Mental Health Research at Lancaster University. Outside of her professional pursuits, she enjoys spending time with her three cats, going for long walks on the beach, and appreciating the beautiful animals in her garden.
The Wave Clinic offers the specialist, expert-led mental healthcare that young people need to recover from mental health problems and build fulfilling futures. It offers residential programs for adolescents from Mumbai and other parts of the world, providing a safe and supported environment focused on building life advantage.
When a young person has a mental illness, it has a big effect on their daily life. Managing and recovering from mental health disorders can take a lot of time and energy. Mental health disorders may affect their relationships, school or work, and plans for the future.
Research suggests that young people in affluent communities are more likely to develop certain mental health problems than those in middle-class communities, or compared to the national average.
Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that usually develop during adolescence. They are complex disorders that have a pervasive effect on a young person’s life, affecting their mental and physical health, relationships with friends and family, emotional and social development, and performance at school.
While borderline personality disorder is most often diagnosed during late adolescence, BPD doesn’t just suddenly develop. Instead, scientists think that interactions of certain biological features – particularly impulsivity and emotional sensitivity – with childhood experiences like social invalidation and trauma lead to the development of BPD.
If your child has an eating disorder, it’s normal to feel worried and concerned. Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that can harm a young person’s mental and physical health, relationships, and social life. But they are also treatable and, with the right support, young people can recover and reclaim a healthy life.
Language has a big effect on the way young people understand, experience, and express their emotions. When it comes to mental health support, languages are a tool to identify and express feelings through a process of healing and positive change.
Social exclusion and peer rejection can have serious consequences for young people’s mental health, leading to emotional and behavioural problems and low self-esteem. Social exclusion that is based on prejudice or bias is particularly damaging.
It’s normal for any young person to have phases of selective eating or specific requirements about how and where they eat their food. But research suggests that autistic young people may experience eating difficulties more often or more persistently than young people who are not autistic.
Autistic young people often experience food aversion, especially related to a food’s texture, taste, or other senses. While food aversion isn’t always a problem, it can lead to malnutrition and other health problems, especially when entire food groups are avoided.
Mental health disorders like anorexia nervosa and borderline personality disorder are common among young people in Kuwait. For parents, seeing a young person face challenges in their mental health can cause stress, anxiety, sadness, and frustration. It’s not easy to know how to act or when to reach out for support.
Identifying and treating anorexia as soon as possible is crucial to effective treatment and recovery. Without timely treatment, children can experience serious and long-term harm to their mental and physical health. This means that it’s really important to look out for the signs of anorexia in pre-teens as well as adolescents and seek professional support if there are any concerns.
Social isolation and loneliness may cause young people to become more inward-focused and preoccupied with their body shape and weight. Meaningful social relationships are important in creating a sense of perspective and self-worth. Relationships help young people understand the many ways they are valuable and emphasise their hobbies and passions. Without these relationships, it’s easier for disordered eating attitudes and behaviours to dominate a young person’s life.
