Unlocking the virtues within us – the importance of children’s mental health

In support of Place2Be’s Children’s Mental Health Week, we have been talking about the importance of recognising the mental health of children and young people in our communities. Reflecting on this year’s theme, “Let’s Connect”, our mental health counsellor, Tamsin Allsebrook shares what this means in practice. 

• Supporting young people in their social and emotional wellbeing is a major part of our programme and so every year we welcome this opportunity to recognise it
• Launched by our delivery partners, Place2Be in 2015, Children’s Mental Health Week shines a light on the importance of children and young people’s mental health
• This year, WLZ delivery partner and child and family psychotherapist Tamsin Allsebrook talks about her experiences working with families and shares an encouraging message

The theme “Let’s Connect” encourages us all to have meaningful, healthy connections in our communities. Relationships with others give us a sense of belonging, purpose and hope and it’s essential for our wellbeing and mental health. Whether that is within our families, friendship groups, schools or workplace, our ability to connect with others acknowledges humanity's interdependence. We can’t thrive, grow in confidence or develop a sense of self-worth without the support and love of others. With NHS data from 2021/22 revealing a 39% increase in NHS mental health referrals for young people who struggle to access help and support it is more important than ever.

Looking beneath the surface

As a Child & Family Psychodynamic Psychotherapist; I work in a number of secondary and primary schools in London as a partner with WLZ offering counselling and psychotherapy.  Through this partnership, children and young people have the opportunity to access psychotherapy – an evidence-based therapeutic treatment. I look beneath the surface of worrying thoughts, difficult behaviour or emotions as I seek to understand through play and non-verbal communication what a child or young person might be communicating. Striving to make meaningful connections and helping them to make sense of their emotions, scary thoughts and challenges

In recognising Children’s Mental Health week we can reflect on how we connect with each other in a way that helps nurture a child’s emotional development, prevent future mental health issues and help them to discover the unlimited potential joy and hope within them.

Over the last 12 months, the key mental health themes that I have come across include: anxiety, emotional dysregulation, low mood, suicidal ideation and low self-esteem. Helping children to navigate through these difficulties through managing their feelings in a more ordinary way and supporting them to feel hopeful about their lives is extraordinarily fulfilling work. However, how wonderful it would be if fewer children needed such support. In recognising Children’s Mental Health week we can reflect on how we connect with each other in a way that helps nurture a child’s emotional development, prevent future mental health issues and help them to discover the unlimited potential joy and hope within them. 

Building connections through virtues

When a child is able to believe in themselves and the goodness within them, they begin to discover and encourage the goodness in others. To harness this, I incorporate ‘language of virtues’ in my work – using virtuous language as a tool to help children identify their strengths and capacities, it allows them to unlock their inner resources to promote growth and self-awareness. Virtues are a powerful and positive psychological tool that not only develops emotional and psychological resilience, but also help to find solutions to emotional challenges. Supporting children to be resilient in coping with the stresses of life. Through virtues like kindness, generosity, truthfulness, compassion and love we can all connect with each other in positive ways, and it is through these meaningful and healthy connections that children have the opportunity to truly flourish.

Tamsin Allsebrook, Child and family; Family Psychodynamic Psychotherapist