A SPECIALIST programme is launching to help young people suffering anxiety, helping them accept “they are not alone” and should not be suffering in silence.

The launch of the six week outpatient programme comes after a major survey found that more than a fifth of 14 year old girls in the UK said they had self-harmed.

The programme, which will run outside of school hours, has been developed by Priory Hospital in Chelmsford and will help young people to understand their anxiety and learn effective coping mechanisms to help them manage and overcome it.

The new Essex-based service will welcome its first patients on Wednesday October 3, offering pragmatic solutions to help young people cope with anxiety in day-to-day life.

Hannah Power, counsellor and psychotherapist at Priory’s Hospital in Chelmsford, who will be leading the anxiety therapy sessions, said: “Everyone is different and no one should feel pressured into talking about anything that they do not want to, and we will talk about respecting each other’s uniqueness - meaning that no one should judge others or feel judged.”

She said no one would be under any obligation to share anything they would not feel comfortable sharing.

Hannah added: “Sometimes it is very hard to put feelings into words.

“The aim is to help find the words that fit the feelings as well as exploring a young person’s sense of their self and raising awareness of bodily sensations.”

Hannah has a postgraduate diploma in counselling teenagers and psychotherapy. She has worked in a number of different settings including education, in the community working for a charity and in the private sector.

Call 01245 244720 or email chelmsford@priorygroup.com for more information and costs.