Young people frequently report they don’t know what to say in counselling sessions. Their counsellor might get them talking about their experiences or even their feelings at times, but for many they don’t see how it helps them. “What am I meant to do afterwards?”

This interactive/ immersive session will teach a suite of action orientated anxiety techniques that have been designed for young people. They have been developed with young clients in my private practice which sees predominantly neurodivergent people.

According to the World Health Organisation, anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorder across the world, with over 301 million people estimated to be affected in 2019 . More women are impacted by anxiety overall, and symptoms often start in childhood or adolescence. Concerningly, only one in four people with an anxiety disorder receive treatment.

In Australia (2020–22), 17.2% of people aged 16–85 had an anxiety disorder in the last 12 months. This was more prevalent for females (21.1%) than males (13.3%). For those in the 16–24 years age group, almost one in three (31.8%) suffered from a 12-month anxiety disorder. This again was higher for females (40.4%). Anxiety is a common experience for young people in general, but it is considerably higher for the neurodivergent population .

The techniques come with a story that reframes anxiety and specific methods for each element of the story, making them easier to remember and use. This is a necessary support for neurodivergent clients who may struggle with memory and executive functioning.

The session will demonstrate techniques and allow participants to practice them with others to ensure a well founded understanding of the premise and how to conduct them. A Q&A following this will allow for a deep exploration of how they can work across a multitude of young clients.