Children’s Mental Health
Children’s Mental Health is an essential part of children’s overall health. It has an interactive relationship with their physical health, according to emotional, cognitive, social, and their biologic development.
Children have the right to have a good mental health status. They deserve to live up to their full potential, succeed in school, engage with healthy relationships, and live healthy lives filled with positive experiences.
Although clinical research has contributed to the development of more effective treatment and prevention of mental health disorders, there are many factors that can impact a child’s mental health status.
Many children are at risk of developing a disorder due to risk factors in their biology or genetics. Some other children have to deal with a childhood that is filled with anger, resentment, hatred, distrust, and constant negativity. Children exposed to these circumstances have difficult time in coping with their emotions. These children tend to have a lower self-worth, negative feelings, perform poorly in school, and later become involved in unhealthy lifestyle decisions.
These experiences combined with environmental factors will usually make them excellent candidates for developing mental health problems.
Mental health disorders affecting children may include: anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, schizophrenia and other forms of mental health complaints.
At Lifeworks we provide children and their families professional help with psychological support to allow them to overcome many of the issues that affect them, improve their mental health status and live a more promising life.
We work with compassion, trust, and understanding at the following levels:
- Children assessment for behavioural or emotional problems;
- Individual therapy or counselling for children with mental health disorders;
- Assisted learning programs aimed at improving children school performance;
- Parent education on the needs of children at each stage of development;
- Strategies for teachers for effective classroom management;
- Monitor of treatment progress.
Mental health problems in childhood may vary across different kind. They may imply:
- Changes in appetite or sleep patterns;
- Fearful behaviours toward things the child normally is not afraid of;
- Returning to earlier pattern of behaviours such as bed-wetting
- Social isolation, sadness or tearfulness;
- Self-destructive behaviours (head-banging, or a tendency to get hurt often)
- Repeated thoughts of death.
There are psychological therapies that can be very effective in helping the child and the family members to encourage behavioural changes sometimes in combination with medications. An effective example is a behavioural parent management training or systemic family therapy in combination with CBT for the child.
If you would like to talk, feel free to reach out to us. An LifeWorks therapist would be able to help.
Dr. Naeema Ali trained psychology and social worker students of UAE University. She is actively providing counselling support to cancer patients and their families. She launched an occupational therapy for cancer patients and cognitive behavioural therapy in Tawam.
Due to her continued support in oncology and ongoing support to cancer patients, Naeema received countless awards locally and international to recognize her achievements and skills. She has been invited to participate in various conferences and workshops around the world and invited as a guest speaker in various subjects that covers psychology.
She also joined Al Sayegh Medical Center as a Social Worker, providing comprehensive assessment and treatment services to children and families, in inpatient and/or outpatient settings, and communicates with referral sources as indicated by applying psychometric test, such as IQ Test, MMPI, Wechsler Test for children. Exhibit superior communication skills to uncover complicated mental health issues; develop and recommend treatment plans based on patient needs and diagnosis.
She continued working as a clinical psychologist providing counselling within the multi-cultural environment of the Emirates Airlines for the past 15 years. Her main task is providing mental health support to inflight and ground staff and addresses any problems, anxieties, or job-related stresses that they are dealing with. She uses her findings to help improve processes and behaviors of a patient to maintain a safe environment, to manage stress, overcome trauma, or avoid job-related conflicts. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the method Naeema is using to reduce the difficulties, anxieties, and stress that employee faces.
Naeema is also part of “ Shawer ”, the “Seek Our Advice”, and “We Listen To You” program of the Family Development Foundation of Abu Dhabi. The aim of the program was to promote family awareness and support a stable family life. It involves a group of community members who deal with family problems in a positive manner and provide individual and group counseling in social, psychological, and educational areas. They do so in a systematic way according to the needs of community members.
Besides “ Shawer ”, Naeema is also a volunteer of “ Friends of Cancer ” of Sharjah, supporting patients and their families to overcome the multitude psychological difficulties that they are experiencing due to cancer treatment as well as introducing some programs such as health education, self-care and some community programs wherein they can collaborate and share their experiences.
Area of interest:
-
Psycho-oncology
-
CBT
-
Psychometric Assessments
-
Children, Adults and Family therapy
Qualification and Membership:
-
Psychology graduation from the University of Wisconsin
-
Licensed by Community Development Authority
Dr. Mohammed Bardi M.B.B.S, M.D (Psychiatry) has worked under different capacities in clinical and hospital setups in Saudi, USA, and UAE. He comes with over 15 years of experience in mental health. He specifically worked with cases relating to schizophrenic, bipolar disorder, dual diagnosis, major depressive disorder with suicidal risks, anxiety disorders, Intellectual disabilities, Autistic spectrum disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD).
Area of interest:
-
Mood disorders
-
Anxiety disorders
-
Improving life skills (social skills, self- esteem, decision making, coping with stress, problem solving, and time management)
Qualification and Membership:
-
MBBS COLLEAGUE OF MEDICINE, KING SAUD UNIVERSITY 2003 (KKU).
-
ARAB BOARD OF MEDICAL SPECIALTIES IN PSYCHIATRY 2007
-
ANXIETY DISORDERS WORKSHOP (DIPLOMA), 2010
-
ADDICTION FELLOWSHIP UCLA, USA, 2010-2011
-
ADDICTION RESEARCH AND MATRIX TRAINING, ISAP, UCLA, LOS ANGELES, CA, USA 2014-2015
-
BACHELOR’S DEGREE OF MEDICINE AND SURGERY
-
ARAB BOARD OF MEDICAL SPECIALTIES IN PSYCHIATRY
-
ADDICTION FELLOWSHIP UCLA 2011, 2015
-
BETTY FORD CERTIFICATE, ADDICTION PROGRAM 2010
-
CDA) Licensed Psychologist
Therapeutic Approach:
-
At LifeWorks Holistic Counselling Center Dubai, Dr. Bardi works collaboratively within our expert multidisciplinary team, in treating a wide array of psychiatric conditions including:
-
Anxiety disorders
-
Substance use disorders
-
Mood disorders including depression and Bipolar affective disorders
-
Psychotic disorders (Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders)
-
Personality disorders
-
Cognitive disorders including Dementia
-
Learning disabilities (intellectual disability disorders)
-
Child and adolescents’ disorders like Separation anxiety disorders, conduct
-
disorders and ADHD