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Unlocking Confidence: Turning Challenges into Opportunities

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Are you facing a big challenge and feeling overwhelmed? You might have heard the advice: “Be more confident.” But what does that mean? Confidence is the blend of self-esteem—believing you’re valuable and capable—and optimism about your abilities. It’s about turning those positive thoughts into courageous actions. So, where does confidence come from? 1. Inherent Factors: Your genetics and brain chemistry can influence your baseline confidence. 2. Environmental Influences: How you’re treated and social pressures affect your self-view. 3. Personal Choices: How you respond to challenges, the risks you take, and how you think about setbacks play a significant role.   While you can’t fully control all these factors, you can cultivate confidence through practical steps: Tip 1: Quick Confidence Boosts – Visualise your success when starting a tough task. – Listen to powerful music or adopt a strong pose to boost your feelings of power. – Give yourself a motivating pep talk. Tip 2: Embrace a Growth Mindset – Believe your abilities can improve with effort and practice. – See challenges as opportunities to learn rather than threats to your self-worth. – Neuroscience backs this up: practising skills builds stronger brain connections and leads to greater success. Tip 3: Embrace Failure – Understand that failure is a natural part of growth. – Learn from failures and keep trying. Those who persist and adapt are better at handling future setbacks. Remember, confidence is about taking on challenges with a positive mindset and learning from every experience. Give yourself grace, stay motivated, and know that every step, whether it leads to success or failure, brings you closer to growth. Stand tall, embrace the journey, and let your confidence shine! 

Sporting Peer Program Celebrates Years of Enriching Young Athletes’ Lives

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Our Sporting Peer Program has been making waves and achieving remarkable outcomes for several years now. This initiative, designed to integrate A Path To Follow’s peer support model into sporting and recreational settings, has proven to be a game-changer in enhancing the well-being of young athletes. What Is the Sporting Peer Program? Since its inception, the Sporting Peer Program has focused on enriching the lives of young sportspeople by embedding peer support into their athletic experiences. The program targets three essential areas: 1. Strengthening Community Connection and Mental Wellbeing: The program has successfully fostered a sense of community among young athletes, contributing to their mental health and resilience. By addressing potential challenges before they escalate, the program helps create a supportive environment that promotes mental well-being. 2. Boosting Skill Development and Confidence: Participants in the Sporting Peer Program have benefited from enhanced confidence and leadership skills. Through ongoing peer support and mentorship, young athletes develop crucial abilities that not only improve their performance but also aid in their personal growth and life skills. 3. Establishing a Sustainable Coaching Model: One of the program’s core achievements has been the development and maintenance of a sustainable coaching model. By equipping coaches with the tools and strategies to incorporate peer support into their practices, the program ensures that the benefits are long-lasting and integrated into the sporting culture. How It Works Over the years, the Sporting Peer Program has seamlessly integrated peer support into existing sports and recreational activities. This integration has created a consistent, supportive framework for young athletes, enhancing their overall experience and providing them with valuable resources. The Impact The impact of the Sporting Peer Program has been profound. By focusing on community building, skill development, and created a more resilient and confident generation of athletes. The positive feedback from participants and coaches alike underscores the program’s success and its significance in promoting mental health and well-being. By Kirstie Edwards

What’s the Difference? Mental Health Professionals Explained

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Navigating mental health support can be overwhelming. Many start with their GP, who can create a mental health care plan and refer you to a Psychologist. However, finding the right support might require additional effort. At A Path To Follow, we guide you through understanding various mental health professions to help you make informed decisions. Here’s a brief overview of the key roles:   Psychologist 🧠 Psychologists assess and provide therapy for mental health issues. They are registered with the Psychology Board of Australia and must complete at least 6 years of training. They focus on talking therapy and don’t usually extend beyond session-based interactions. Psychiatrist 🩺 Psychiatrists are medical doctors with additional training in Psychiatry. They can manage medication and complex cases. They often work with Psychologists as part of a care team. Social Worker 🌍 Social Workers provide counselling and help with advocacy and service coordination. They are not regulated in Australia, but the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) sets standards. Verify if your Social Worker is AASW-eligible. Mental Health Social Worker 💬 Mental Health Social Workers have additional qualifications and can assess and diagnose mental health issues. They are accredited through AASW. Counsellor 💡 Counsellors enhance mental health through talking therapy. While registration is not mandatory, postgraduate qualifications and membership with organisations like PACFA are recommended. Youth Worker 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Youth Workers support young people with practical needs and service connections. They often hold diplomas and may be registered with the Youth Workers Association. Hypnotist 🌀 Hypnotherapy involves inducing a trance to address issues like smoking cessation. Check if your Hypnotherapist is registered with the Hypnotherapy Council of Australia. Mental Health Nurse 🩺 Mental Health Nurses are registered nurses with specialised training in mental health, working in various settings to manage comprehensive care. Mental Health Peer Worker or Mentor 💬 Peer Workers use their personal mental health experiences to support others. While not regulated, reputable organisations ensure proper training and supervision.   We hope this guide helps you understand different mental health professions and choose the right support. Click here to make a time with A Path To Follow to help assistant you with finding a reputable mental health specialist. By Kirstie Edwards Stay informed! Sign up for our newsletter at http://eepurl.com/iPwnew

Understanding Lived Experience Mental Health Peer Support

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Lived Experience Mental Health Peer Support   A Mental Health Peer Worker is employed based on their personal lived/living experience of mental health challenges and recovery. They are commonly being employed in hospital and community settings, often alongside the employment of Carer Peers, who tend to support the families of those experiencing challenges. A Path To Follow’s Model Of Peer Support APTF uses a model of Lived Experience Peer Support, where APTF Peers use their living/lived and professional experiences to support the peer journey. Inherent to this model are the foundational principles of Intentional Peer Support’s Framework: From Helping to Learning Together – we don’t see peers as needing to be fixed or us as the experts, Individual to Relationship – we see our work together as a partnership where both peers have a responsibility and From Fear to Hope and Possibility we don’t subscribe to a traditional risk based model, rather we use one that sees the meaning behind risks as a source of opportunity to learn and grow, in a safe and supportive manner. We acknowledge this system is quite different from the medicalised model we have all grown up with; you as a patient/client seeing an expert. We are all experts within our own lives and APTF was founded, and is directed by Kirstie, with substantial knowledge and experience of the system as a consumer, carer and professional. APTF Peers use a mix of perspectives and experiences to advocate and walk beside young people and their families, enabling participation in supports while remaining connected to their communities. This model of service is not a crisis service but does offer a flexibility outside what many mainstream services are able to offer. Support is customised according to needs; including various session locations and contact times, who is included in the service, referrals to other services, shared care with other services and so on… Sometimes we just want to be heard. That is a great place to start with us. Reach out for your FREE consultation to see how we can assist.

A Path To Follow’s Peer Support Framework

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APTF uses a model of Lived Experience Peer Support, where APTF Peers use their lived and professional experiences to support their peer’s journey. Inherent to this model are the foundational principles of Intentional Peer Support’s Framework: From Helping to Learning Together – we don’t see peers as needing to be fixed or us as the experts, Individual to Relationship – we see our work together as a partnership and From Fear to Hope and Possibility we don’t subscribe to a traditional risk based model, rather we use one that sees the meaning behind risks as a source of opportunity to learn and grow, in a safe and supportive manner. We acknowledge this system is quite different from the medicalised model we have all grown up with; you as a patient/client seeing an expert. APTF believes we are all experts within our own lives and APTF was founded and is directed by Kirstie, who has substantial knowledge and experience of the system as a consumer, carer and professional. We use all of those perspectives to advocate and walk beside you, enabling you to participate in the supports you require and remain connected to the community that is important to you.

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