Introduction

This section is aimed at people who come into contact with young people who self-harm through their work.

This can be difficult and distressing and our aim is to provide you with information, resources and structures to help you manage so that both of you get the support and help you need.

Getting it right

Your intial reaction to finding out someone is self-harming is really important in the long-run.

"A few years ago, I received counselling for self harm at school. She made me tell my parents and when I did she rung my parents and told them that I was just attention seeking and now that I had told someone I would never do it again. I had never told anyone about this before and only went to the counsellor because a friend found out by accident.

However, because of what she said I felt like I could not tell anyone again and so I stopped seeing her and continued to self harm; even now five years later I still self harm when things get too much.

I still feel like I cannot tell anyone because I am scared they will think that I am attention seeking, even though I only do it as an occasional release when I feel stressed or pressured."

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