The significance of a sense of being in control for young people who received counselling for self‐harm

Clamp, Mark and Jones, Steven and Limmer, Mark (2023) The significance of a sense of being in control for young people who received counselling for self‐harm. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 23 (3). pp. 790-800. ISSN 1473-3145

Abstract

Background Instances of self-harm by young people are rising and are an increasing challenge for healthcare and mental health services. Young people's negative experiences of accessing help and support when they self-harm are a contributing factor to them not seeking help in future episodes. Method Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 young people aged 17–20 years old who had received therapy relating to self-harm from a National Health Service (NHS) Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service in the East of England. The data were analysed using reflective thematic analysis. Findings and Discussion This study provides a new understanding of how a greater sense of feeling in control over their lives is a common goal for therapy for young people who self-harm. This investigation also shows that gaining understanding or reclaiming a sense of being in control results in the young person experiencing the therapy in a positive light and assessing it as successful. The results also show that an increased sense of being in control is sometimes overlooked and a missing aspect of therapy with young people who self-harm.