According to a recent report, one in six school-aged children in the UK have an active mental health issue, and a staggering 74% of mental illnesses are established by the age of 24. These statistics are alarming, indicating the need for urgent action to teach young adults how to look after their mental health. To address this issue, a psychological and emotional resilience coach, Dr. Amali Gunasekera, has launched the Bright Futures Blueprint, a mental wellbeing course designed for 16 to 25-year-olds.
The Bright Futures Blueprint is a holistic programme designed to address the root causes of anxiety, stress, and overwhelm, instead of relying on quick-fix coping strategies and life hacks. The six-week self-paced immersive online workshop includes self-reflection activities and video and audio guides, enabling young adults to understand themselves more and learn how to look after their mental health.
Dr. Gunasekera believes that a more holistic approach to mental wellbeing in the UK is necessary, as mental health is often ignored until it becomes a problem. Her aim is to help young adults learn to master their minds, enabling them to take more masterful decisions in their lives. Many young people lose themselves before starting their true adult life by seeking validation from others and not focusing on their own self-care and self-love.
The programme is the brainchild of Dr. Gunasekera, an award-winning researcher and psychological and emotional resilience coach. She received the Princess Alexandra Medal for excellence from Lancaster University for her postgraduate research. Her PhD focused on self-development and understanding the mind, inspiring her to become a psychological and emotional resilience coach and share her knowledge.
Dr. Gunasekera explains that the process of completing her PhD was more valuable to her than the letters behind her name. She realised that the knowledge she gained from her research needed to be shared with the world, leading her to create the Bright Futures Blueprint.
Life for young people today is complex, and many are walking into the future without the right information about mental health, relationships, and toxic patterns. Dr. Gunasekera believes that instead of waiting for people to have a mid-life crisis, strategies and tools need to be given to them now to become emotionally resilient. Prevention is better than cure.
To find out more about the Bright Futures Blueprint programme, visit www.amali-gunasekera.com