We work with young people aged 11 to 25 whose mental health, behaviour or habits are getting in the way of school, university, work or family life.
Every programme begins with a clinical assessment. Synapse considers suitability and what support is needed, and builds a personalised care plan, with coaching at its heart and therapy brought in where needed. If what your child needs is beyond what we can provide directly, we will say so and do our best to help you find it.
Coaching builds practical ways to manage anxiety, low mood and anger day to day.
Anxiety; social anxiety; depression and low mood; stress and overwhelm; rumination and obsessive thoughts; anger and aggression; low self-esteem and self-worth; people pleasing; panic and avoidance; harmful coping strategies; body image.
Coaching works on routines, planning and follow-through, so tasks get started and finished.
Procrastination; time management; organisation and executive functioning; ADHD; impulsivity; sleep problems; exam and school pressure; refusing school, university or work.
Coaching helps young people communicate with confidence, handle peer pressure and conflict, recover from bullying or a breakup, and rebuild connection with the people around them.
Loneliness; isolation and withdrawal; friendship problems; communication difficulties; peer pressure and bullying; relationship breakups; autism-related social difficulties; managing transitions.
Coaching works on triggers, urges and the healthy habits that replace them, and involves parents in setting boundaries at home.
Gaming, social media and phone use; gambling; alcohol; vaping; cannabis and other drugs. Early intervention, before habits become entrenched.
Some families come to us because of a specific event or change rather than a named difficulty. Coaching helps a young person through it, and works on what it has set off.
| Group | Situations |
|---|---|
| School, university and work | School avoidance; exclusion; exam pressure and results; changing school; starting, struggling at or leaving university; back home and not working or studying. |
| Family and relationships | Parents’ separation or divorce; family conflict; bereavement; relationship breakups; moving home or country. |
| Health services | Waiting for CAMHS or turned away; moving from CAMHS to adult services at 18; after discharge from therapy or hospital. |
We do not diagnose or treat. Where therapy is needed, a registered therapist from our network provides it, and we coordinate the team.
Self-harm at moderate risk, eating difficulties and OCD. Coaching goes ahead only with a clinician involved.
Suicidal plans or crisis, eating disorders with medical risk, and dependence on substances or gambling. We are not an emergency or out-of-hours service.
The terms used on this page are explained in our definitions.
