“Hi, I’m Melanie Gabbi. I’m a mental health and wellbeing consultant, psychotherapist, and a yoga and meditation teacher with over 25 years of experience in the mental health and wellbeing space. I’m here today to share some of the key things I’ve learned from working with adults, young people, and families over the years, focusing on mental health in families and the challenges of parenting.

To share a bit of my background: I started as a psychotherapist in 1999, and in 2002, I took on a small contract with schools, supporting them with students at risk of exclusion. Through this work, I quickly discovered that behavioural issues often had deep roots—these children were carrying experiences that went unseen or misunderstood by most school staff.

In time, I worked closely with the behaviour support departments in schools, addressing issues that were deeply affecting students’ ability to learn and thrive. Eventually, I began working with parents as well, as it became clear that families were dealing with layers of stress—sick siblings, financial strain, mental health challenges, and sometimes issues like substance misuse or even domestic abuse.

This experience underscored a truth that is often overlooked: we can’t separate children from their family dynamics. Addressing only the child’s behaviour, without supporting the parents, limits the impact of any intervention. And to be clear—this isn’t about placing blame on parents. It’s about acknowledging how complex family life can be and understanding that the challenges parents face have a direct impact on their children’s wellbeing.

By 2008, I had worked in numerous schools and with thousands of young people and their parents. I was given the opportunity to take on a new service focused on referrals from GPs. Many parents came to us seeking support for their children’s behavioural challenges or developmental concerns, such as ADHD or ASD. Interestingly, when we analysed the data, we found that nearly 45% of the families had also been known to social care at some point in the past.

So, today, I’m here to share some of what I’ve learned from those experiences. I can’t delve deeply into personal stories or the inner workings of CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) because that’s a complex system in itself. But I can offer follow-up sessions if you need more specific guidance or support.

Every family goes through stressful periods, and balancing family life with everyone’s needs—yours and your kids’—is challenging, even in the best of circumstances. Personally, I understand this well: I was married and raised two children, both with additional needs that impacted their education and our family life. My work is deeply personal, and I am passionate about supporting parents and young people.

Through my experience, I’ve seen the resilience of young people time and time again. They have an incredible capacity to move through issues when their family environment is supportive, even when stress is high. However, when parents are under significant stress, it can be hard to see the path forward and manage the many needs that arise.

Over the years, I’ve helped many parents with practical tools to manage anger and reduce stress quickly so that they can work together as a family unit. Today’s talk will cover my top tips for managing family stress, supporting both you and your children, and creating a strong foundation for everyone’s wellbeing.

Let’s dive in.”

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