Laura Harris calls for the government to take action amidst a mental health crisis

• Laura Harris has been a social worker for the past 15 years, working with and supporting dozens of vulnerable children and families.
• With the rise of mental health problems in young people Laura calls for the government to take action.
• Starting in June, Laura hopes her Mindful Stars Therapy programme in Didsbury, will help better the minds of the next generation.

As an experienced social worker, Laura Harris from Didsbury has helped support dozens of vulnerable children and families over the past 15 years. With her range of therapeutic qualifications and her experience working for the NHS, she has supported adopted children, foster families, children that have suffered trauma, domestic abuse, self-harm and much more.

With the rise of mental health problems in young people, Laura calls for the government to take action. Laura said, “The government needs to make services more accessible for children and families and at the moment it is a postcode lottery!!”

“Children need support from grown-ups to co-regulate and develop their coping skills. More money should be invested in mental health in school initiatives and parents should be supported to spend more time with their children through flexible working.”

Young People’s Mental Health

Mental health awareness week has just passed with anxiety having been the key theme this year. A recent survey conducted by the Mental Health Foundation on 6000 UK adults has shown that 86% of young people have experienced anxiety in the past two weeks.

With the rise of mental health problems in young people, there’s arguably never been a better time for the government to take action and people like Laura to make an impact.

By identifying the problems early on, giving children the tools to conquer their anxiety, and strengthening the bonds between children and their parents, Laura could go a long way in improving the minds of the next generation. 

Laura said, “I am a mum of a three year old and recognise the difficulties in being a parent and the pressures we put on ourselves to be perfect!

“We live in unprecedented times where we are under significant pressure to spend more time at work and less time with our children. My aim is to promote the importance of connection between parents/carers and children and how people can utilise the time they do have to connect and support their children’s emotional well being.”

“I have heard from countless families that they have not been able to access support for their children when they have desperately needed it and they have felt completely alone. Mindful Stars is here to offer a level of support and advice that families need to understand their children’s emotional needs and how to cope with tricky emotions and behaviour.”