CAFS Blog
Mental health
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;
- Significant changes in our thinking, our emotions and/or how we behave around others.
- If we cannot function as we used to, in school, work, during family activities or in social settings.
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…
OUR THERAPISTS
For further information on consultations, call on our hotline