Self-Harm

Deliberately harming yourself or having an impulse to is a sign of emotional distress. It is not uncommon, especially in adolescents, to self-harm. On the surface, it may appear to occur only when you have difficulty managing emotions and don’t have proper coping skills. This is too commonly used to punish, feel a sense of control, to feel an emotion, or to communicate distress. Self-harm and the physical evidence left on your boy can cause feelings of shame or guilt, which can be challenging, and thus the urge to self-harm repeats. This is a dangerous behavior cycle and can increase the likelihood of fatal self-aggressive actions. My goal as a  Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist is to understand your behavior and show you more effective coping mechanisms to tolerate any mental pain you may encounter, and find relief.