Co-operation Ireland through OUR Generation in parternship with The Creative Psychotherapist (Siobhan Wilson-McGlinchey) are delighted to offer professionals working wiht teenagers a full day training event 'Surfing the Waves' on helping professionals navigate the ups and downs of adolesence.

Who is eligible?

Adults 18+ working with children and young people aged 9-25 in a professional or volunteer capacity. Includes youth workers, communtiy workers, and practitioners.

Overview of the training

Are you struggling to understand teenagers' behaviour?
Feeling disconnected or unsure how to communicate effectively?
Worried about mental health, peer pressure, or social media influence?

This programme will provide you with practical tools and expert insights to:

Improve communication with teenagers you work with
Understand the basic functioning of the nervous system
Understand the emotional changes they’re going through and the power of the teenage brain
Learn how to integrate skills and techniques to help support, contain and provide safety for the teen
Recognise signs of mental health struggles and know when to seek help
Help create positive connections and facilitation of co-regulation to enable self-regulation with pre-teens and adolescents.

Don't miss this opportunity to gain the confidence and skills to help teenagers thrive - while reducing your own stress along the way.

About The Creative Psychotherapist, found of Roe Valley Therapy Centre:

Siobhan is a qualified Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Humanistic Integrative Counsellor and a Play Therapist, known in her work as The Creative Psychotherapist. She has over fifteen years’ experience working with a diverse range of clients, and she specialises in Early Developmental Trauma, working with parents, professionals and children through the healing powers of creativity and play. Keep up-to-date on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creativepsychotherapy?locale=en_GB

About the PEACEPLUS OUR Generation Project:

OUR Generation is a PEACEPLUS funded project led by Action Mental Health and a cross-border partnership of 9 organisations including Co-operation Ireland, Youth Action NI, Boys & Girls Clubs NI, Donegal Youth Service, PlayBoard NI, Youth Work Ireland, Include Youth, and Ulster University. OUR Generation will focus on delivering impactful initiatives for youth mental health and wellbeing and contribute to peace and reconciliation through cross-border and cross-community initiatives. The project aims to increase mental health literacy, enhance emotional resilience, build leadership skills of CYP and lead research in mental health and the impact of trauma on our communities. The project will incorporate trauma-informed practice and build interpersonal, intrapersonal, and intergroup skills in young people to promote shared learning and diversity. We will work with young people aged 9-25 and key youth workers including any adults working with young people in a professional or volunteer capacity.

Co-operation Ireland's will focus on connecting groups on a cross community and cross border basis based upon common needs and shared interests with the development of activities and training to address issues, specifically around the promotion of emotional resilience, empathy and understanding underpinned by building peace & reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland.

Understanding Teenagers 'Surfing the Waves' Training for Practitioners