CAFS Blog

what is it?

Mental health is the foundation of how we think, feel, and communicate. But at times, when difficulties occur in our ways of thinking and feeling, they may affect how we function daily, our relationships, our well-being, and how we contribute to society.

Mental illness

Should I worry?

Everyone will feel ups and downs in life, but we may want to seek professional support if we notice;

Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of. It is a medical condition just like diabetes or heart disease; and is treatable. As more research is done to understand how the human brain works, treatments are available to support mental health concerns successfully.

Regardless of your age, gender, race, ethnicity or income; mental illness can affect you, and can take many forms. Some conditions can be mild where only a certain aspect of your daily life is affected (Eg: fear of heights [phobias]), while in some instances there can be adverse effects where the need arises to receive care in a hospital.

How can CAFS help?

CAFS provides a range of psycho-theraputic services/comprehensive mental health support to children, adolescents, adults and families.

Our services include,

Counselling
Psychotherapy and interventions
Psycho Education
Psycho Diagnostic Assessments and Psychometric testing
Respite care
Support forums

We Provide

01. Counselling

Guidance and support for individuals to better manage and cope with various types of adversity, changes and difficulties faced in life.

Counselling is useful in any of the below contexts

Difficulty in adjusting to changes in lifestyle
Relationship problems with partners and family members
Coping with grief or death of a loved one
Substance use
Learning coping skills for stress and anxiety
Identifying and evaluating options when making important personal or professional decisions

However it is important to remember that you do not have to be facing a specific difficulty to seek counselling support. Anyone can seek support at anytime to work on one’s mental wellbeing

02. Psychotherapy and Interventions

Support for those facing significant mental distress and emotional difficulties that is affecting their daily functioning at school, work, home or in social settings.

Psychotherapy is used when treating mental health conditions, helping individuals process and cope with trauma, work through difficult emotions and relationships etc. It is a more long term form of treatment that helps a person make significant and lasting changes in their lives.

Interventions based on scientific evidence is provided to help support individuals to navigate through difficulties and manage symptoms.

Therapists might focus on a person’s thoughts, attitudes, beliefs and how these influence their current relationships, feelings and behaviours.
They may support a person in exploring their past and gaining insight into how past events may be influencing their present problems.
They may use strategies to help a person modify or overcome negative habits and behaviours.
Children may be supported in processing difficult emotions and feelings, coping with bullying, low self esteem, anger management etc.
Children with conditions such as Autism, ADHD, behavioural problems, etc maybe supported through tailor made interventions that target the development of certain skills that would improve their quality of life and help them better manage their difficulties

03. Assessments

Psychologists carry out assessments to measure cognitive and emotional functioning of both children and adults to arrive at a diagnosis or guide treatment.

Assessments are carried out in various different contexts

Children who are having difficulties with school work, for example, may undergo aptitude testing or tests for learning disabilities.
Certain other tests are carried out to assess neurological functioning to diagnose or monitor brain disorders.
Other tests evaluate whether a person may be experiencing an emotional disorder such as anxiety or depression.

If a person is having problems at work, or in personal relationships, tests can help a psychologist understand whether he or she might have issues with certain personality traits that contribute to the problem. Personality testing could also help support people in finding suitable career paths.
Psychologists also carry out assessments to help students qualify for access arrangements- access arrangements are a form of extra support (eg. extra time) that is provided for candidates with special educational needs, disabilities or injuries that allow for them to access tests without changing the tests integrity or demand.

At CAFS we offer assessment services to meet all the above mentioned needs.

04. Respite Care

Providing extra support to children with special needs through a program designed specifically to encourage growth through skill development. Catering to the unique needs of each and every child.

While giving caregivers a much needed break from their caregiving duties we hope to support the increased independence of the child including supporting them with building and maintaining social interactions and relationships, forming new experiences and building their cognitive abilities, social, communication and emotional skills to improve their overall quality of life.

05. Support Groups

CAFS hopes to bring together people who are going through or have gone through similar experiences with their mental health.

We aim to create a safe space for individuals to gather and share their personal experiences, feelings, and coping strategies, to provide emotional and moral support so that they learn from, and understand each other.

Stay tuned for more information on our Support groups.

If you or a loved one is struggling due to any mental health concern, please free to book an appointment with one of our psychologists today…