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For parents

Support Young People to Break the Cycle of Self-Harm

Help a young person who self-harms find other ways to cope, by working out what the self-harm is doing for them.

  • 32 minutes
  • Certificate

Free for 14 days, then £4 a month or £40 a year. Cancel before day 14 and you won't pay anything.

About this course

Finding out that a young person is hurting themselves is frightening, and it's natural to fix on the injuries. But self-harm that keeps happening is meeting a need. Maybe it brings calm or a sense of control, or maybe it's the one time an adult pays attention. Until that need is met some other way, it's hard to stop.

You'll learn to look past the wounds and work out with them what the self-harm gives them, then find healthier ways to meet that need. You'll make a written safety plan together for the moments of crisis, see why calm, matter-of-fact wound care matters, and make sure they can get your support without having hurt themselves first.

It's taught by a researcher who did her PhD on self-harm and has written books about it for families and schools.

Modules

9 modules
  1. 1Introduction1 min
  2. 2Look beyond injuries4 min
  3. 3What need is being met?6 min
  4. 4How else can this need be met?7 min
  5. 5Manage crisis moments with a safety plan5 min
  6. 6Injury management matters3 min
  7. 7Provide support outside of self-injury3 min
  8. 8You do not have to fix, walk with2 min
  9. 9Wrap up & Resources1 min

Across all our courses

91%

of people who rated one of our courses would recommend it to a friend or colleague. From more than 95,000 ratings.

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Good to know

  • A certificate when you finish.
  • Stop when you like and pick up where you left off.
  • Got a link from your child's school? Use that instead: it's free for you.

Start this course today

Try it free for 14 days. The trial opens every course for parents and carers, including this one.