Our Services

Anxiety

Anxiety is generally defined as feelings of worry, fear and apprehension or nervousness. When people present with an anxious presentation, they report experiencing excessive levels of anxiety, quite frequently, which may prevent them from carrying out their day to day activities. They simply become overwhelmed with their feelings of fear and worry.

Anxiety impacts three main areas: 1) Our Body (physiological) 2) Our Thoughts (cognitive) and 3) Our Actions (Behaviour).

In other words, when someone is anxious and perceive a situation as threatening, they are likely to experience a number of physiological reactions (e.g. racing heart, hyperventilation, nausea etc.). They are also likely to think more catastrophically and negatively than typically expected. Common Examples may include "What if I make a mistake?" or "What if I say something and people laugh at me?" or "What if something bad happens to me?". Consequently, anxious people begin to avoid the objects or situations they fear in order to feel calmer and safe. 

People often wonder what causes anxiety, specifically in young people who are thought to be so "care free". Anxiety is often a combination of biological (e.g. genetic predisposition) and environmental factors (e.g. stress from HSC, changes, death of a family member/  family life stressors, an emotional shock following a traumatic event, some form of abuse/ trauma) which can lead a young person to developing anxiety.

ACPC Psychologists understand what it is like for young people with significant levels of stress and anxiety and how that might impact their everyday  social, emotional, and occupational functioning.  We are here to teach young people to understand their anxiety and empower them to manage it more effectively. 

Eating disorders

Body image issues and eating disorders generally arise from a combination of societal and individual factors interplaying. We live in a society which gives us messages about the importance of size and shape. We are constantly bombarded with messages that 'we aren't good enough as we are' and 'the need to try this new diet/product/regime' to rectify this.

For young people, being constantly surrounded by these messages and experiencing an individual life stressor such as peer pressure, unrealistic self-expectations, life crisis or transition, focusing on their body or what they eat can become a way of coping or getting through these difficult times. Unfortunately, when the body is exposed to periods of restriction, starvation, binging or purging it endures a significant amount of distress. The medical and physical risks are significant even if the eating issue/disorder has only been experienced for a short time. Early identification of an eating issue/ disorder in young people is therefore essential since it can have a major impact on a young people's brain and body development.

ACPC Psychologists provide consultation and psychological support to adolescents who may be experiencing mild to moderate or at risk of an eating disorder including; Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorders. We also take a much wider definition, assisting young people who may also have an unhealthy relationship to food or body image. E.g. Food is categorised as 'good' or 'bad', Food control as a coping strategy, Yo-yo dieting, Food and/or how we look as primary focus of living.

Taking a broader definition allows us to capture the bigger issues associated with the development and perpetuation of body image issues and associated eating disorders. We aim for you and your loved ones to feel supported and guided throughout the treatment program towards a healthier mind and a healthier lifestyle.

Gender/Sexual Identity

The transition from child-hood to adulthood is a critical developmental challenge as it prompts the articulation and rediscovery of personal identity. Indeed, such stressors are experienced by all adolescents. This includes biological changes, reorganisation of peer social networks and changes in their relationships with household members.

Some non-heterosexual and non-cisgender members are more likely to experience intolerance, discrimination, harassment and the threat of violence than those from mainstream society. This is because some people in society find it difficult to accept people who are different whether because of their race their sex and sexuality their religion the list goes on. They might therefore discriminate against people, bully them, or sometimes act aggressively. 

Such obstacles are amplified for LGBTIQ identifying youth. These sub-groups however face additional ‘gay-related’ nuanced obstacles, specifically when it comes to disclosing their sexual orientation to family, friends and their wider community. ACPC Psychologists provide support for young individuals wishing to discover the relationships between themselves and their sexual/gender identity in a safe and welcoming environment.