Written by Books
I am rather a magpie when it comes to resources, but unlike magpies I like to share my collections with others.
There are so many good books out there, that it is easy to get lost. This is my idea of which books will be helpful to teenagers, and in some cases younger children.
Jennifer Shannon’s books are a great start and in particular “The Anxiety Survival Guide for teens” is a wonderful introduction to working with feelings and thoughts. Regardless of the name, “Don’t Feed the Monkey Mind: how to stop the cycle of anxiety, fear and worry” is excellent for pausing the escalation of emotion. Both these books are produced by New Harbinger, and indeed these publishers also have other helpful books on exam stress, and stress in general for teenagers.
Most teens get intrusive thoughts, only some teenagers really get spooked by them. “Overcoming unwanted intrusive thoughts” by Sally Winston and Martin Seif is a well written book and the kids I have worked with have enjoyed it, if “enjoyed” is the right word.
For parents of younger children who have been through trauma, “The Simple Guide to Child Trauma” by Betsy de Thierry does what it says on the tin, and is full of helpful ideas to support quite young children. It is published by Jessica Kingsley.
And if you are a parent and would like to get your own stuff sorted, look no further than David Burn’s great new book “Feeling Great” published by PESI, it helps you understand the various unhelpful thinking habits we can all engage in. More than this, it suggests ways in which we can start to give up these habits.
Resources
The following are useful websites and Youtube episodes aimed at young adults and children.
Telephone helplines
www.youngminds.org.uk/for_parents/parent_helpline
Bereavement helpline
0800 2600 400
Worried that a young person is vulnerable or self harming or suicidal, try Papyrus
0800 068 41 41
A great website for supporting young adults
Young Minds is also a great place to start:
And for the parents …
https://mindedforfamilies.org.uk/young-people
What about some self help?
Great resources from the Anna Freud Centre
https://www.annafreud.org/selfcare/
More for teachers, but this website often looks at emotional regulation:
https://www.edutopia.org/social-emotional-learning
Good videos
A great video on emotions
A good video on losing your temper
A good video for teenagers on anxiety
A good video on anxiety for children from about 10 years upward
If your child is starting CBT this short video explains CBT
A good video on avoiding things that make us anxious
A good video on facing up to your fears with an emphasis on OCD
A good explanation of thought-action fusion as in OCD
A brief but effective video on mindfulness
What about some apps?
Here I am not recommending apps, but will bring your attention to two websites which evaluate NHS apps, and this should give you some confidence in those you are considering using.
In the NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/category/mental-health/
From the USA: https://onemindpsyberguide.org/apps/
Mood-Coach 