Professor Donna Cross is Foundation Professor of Child and Adolescent Health
at the Child Health Promotion Research Centre, University of Western Australia.
The following list is drawn from the experiences of many teenagers and young adults who have worked with counsellors in a variety of situations – schools, TAFE colleges, community health centres, telephone help lines and internet youth counselling services. It covers some of the worries that young people have from time to time.
- Behaviour at school
- Behaviour at home
- Making and keeping friends; friendship groups
- Boy/girl relationships
- Family relationships (communication, trust, separation, divorce)
- Progress at school; changing schools, leaving school
- Loss and bereavement
- Inappropriate use of drugs, including tobacco and alcohol
- Physical changes of puberty
- Emotional issues (anger, anxiety, loneliness, depression)
If these are some of the things that worry you from time to time, or if you have other concerns, it would be a good idea to talk them over on a one-to-one basis with a trusted adult. That person could be a parent, relative, sports coach, teacher or counsellor. The College counsellors are available to you during school hours and may be able to help you work through your worries before they become major problems.
Support Information
- Lifeline (24 hrs) – Ph: 13 11 14 www.lifeline.org.au
- Kids Helpline (24 hrs) – Ph: 1800 551 800 www.kidshelp.com.au
- Youth Beyond Blue – Ph: 1300 22 4636 www.youthbeyondblue.com
- Reach Out Australia – www.reachout.com
- Beyond Blue – 1300 224 636 www.beyondblue.org.au
- Black Dog Institute – (02) 9382 4530 www.blackdoginstitute.org.au
- eHeadspace – 11800 650 890 www.eheadspace.org.au
