Self Harm

Self-harm such as cutting, burning, hitting oneself, pulling out hair, putting oneself in danger or using drugs and alcohol are behaviours that are used to intentionally cause pain or injury.

Many people, particularly teenagers and young people, use self-harm to control overwhelming feelings such as loneliness, shame or guilt. Self-harming can be described by those who do it as calming, and it is used as a coping strategy. Over time the intensity of the harm may increase as the person becomes more desensitised to the harm the person who is self-harming may also feel ashamed about it. Self-harming can lead to medical complications such as infections or even death.

At The Counselling Avenue, we use acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to teach better-coping skills and regulation of emotions.

Contact us today for your free 30-minute consultation hello@thecounsellingavenue.com