Exam Results
Teen Connect is celebrating a successful first year in town, helping support teens across the city of Leeds. With exam results for both GCSEs and A-Levels coming this month, our own Alice talks about exam anxiety and the need for emotional support. I became a volunteer on Connect helpline in January 2017. It was at... Read More
Depression: my story
Lifestyle blogger Simi Bammi speaks to LSLCS about her experiences with mental health. She posts photos on Instagram coupled with self-care tips for your physical and mental wellbeing. Below she shares her views on mental health and her own experiences, and the things she’s learned in life. Check out her blog on Instagram @throwmetheblanket ... Read More
Reaching thirty seemed impossible
Visitor Anne Halpin talks frankly and honestly about her experiences and what has helped her as she reaches a landmark. Content warning: sexual abuse, trauma, suicide I recently turned thirty. I’d like to start with my childhood. I was physically abused by my mum as a child and I was sexually abused... Read More
New partnership offers help to abuse survivors
Organisations across Leeds have formed a new partnership to help adult survivors of child sexual abuse. Public awareness of child sexual abuse and the impact it has on the lives of victims, their families and communities has increased in recent years. The new Leeds Visible partnership aims to help employers and service providers to take... Read More
West Yorkshire based sexual violence charity research shows its men’s teletherapy service works well
Survivors West Yorkshire, the Yorkshire region’s ONLY online specialist support service for male survivors of child sexual abuse, publishes independent evaluation of Ben’s Place. The organisation, which promotes the public awareness message, “sexual abuse is something I experienced, it’s not who I am!”, said it was keen to share the positive findings of the... Read More
Understanding Trauma
Erene Hadjiioannou is a psychotherapist specialising in trauma as a result of sexual violence, and between 2014 and 2018 set up two services in Leeds for female-identifying clients with complex needs (offenders, and survivors of sexual violence). While Erene’s priority is client work, she has always written and spoken about mental health as way to encourage people to... Read More
Healing through poetry
Sarah Strutt has generously shared some poetry she has written regarding events throughout her life. Having been registered blind due to a degenerative genetic disorder at the age of 17, she continued her studies on to university, before having to withdraw at age 20 due to ill health. She has then faced challenging times since, after... Read More
FReSH Start Study
FReSH Start aim to rethink support for self-harm and they need to hear from others. See the below post for applicants to a confidential survey to help them in their valuable work. Do you have personal experience of self-harm? We are looking for people who can help us understand why people self-harm. We... Read More