A brave teenager from the Wirral is looking to inspire children and young people like her who have faced challenges with their mental health by telling her story of how she was given the tools to help change her life.
Natalie was referred to Healios through a partnership with her local NHS Trust and received 16 Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) sessions on a weekly basis.
The 17-year-old has spoken about her journey to better mental health to coincide with World Mental Health Day (10 October) and encouraged other young people suffering in silence to seek support and have those difficult conversations. She said:
“The help I had through Healios has opened up a lot of doors for me. I’m not as scared or as timid as I used to be, about going out and also making sure my family knew that I wasn’t OK. And not being ashamed of that, letting people know it’s OK not to be OK, you’re allowed to feel your emotions and your feelings. I’ve now got real confidence about what’s ahead for me.”
David Mushati, Healios Chief Medical Officer, said Natalie’s story was testament to the dedication and expertise of the clinical teams at Healios and praised her for looking to inspire other young people facing such challenges.
“It’s truly uplifting and satisfying to hear Natalie talk so positively about her experience receiving support from Healios and I would like to thank her for her courage and for looking to inspire her peers who may be faced with similar circumstances in their lives and in need of support”.
To read Natalie’s full story, download the UK press release here.