Deliberate self-harm is a behaviour in which a person purposely inflicts physical harm on her or himself. These behaviours are often an attempt to regulate negative emotions that become intolerable.
Teens use a number of self-harming methods, most commonly cutting, poisoning, burning, or overdosing.
Children tend to engage in scratching or biting themselves.
There are many contributing factors that lead an individual to self-harm.
Some common issues include:
Self-harm behaviour can be serious and signals an individuals level of emotional distress. It is important that a child or adolescent who is self-harming be assessed by a qualified mental health professional.
At The Therapy Centre, our clinicians are trained in assessing self-harm behaviour and risk of suicide. We will provide Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to treat individuals with self-harm behaviour. DBT is an evidence-based treatment to help children and teens regulate their emotions by teaching them healthy coping strategies.