Peer pressure, low self-esteem, bullying, depression and angst – these are just a few of the troubling “growing pains” that can keep teenagers – and their parents – awake at night.
Research suggests that girls are more susceptible to depression and eating issues than boys. A 2013 Dubai Health Authority study found that one in five teenagers in the emirate had symptoms of depression. A 2015 study by the National Citizen Service in the United Kingdom noted that girls become stressed more frequently than boys and shy away from talking to their parents.
In her 15 years as an educator, Dubai resident Jane Gammage has seen many young girls grapple with body-image issues, lack of confidence and the pressure to look and dress a certain way to fit in.
The life coach and counsellor believes that if a proactive approach is taken and teenagers are equipped with the tools to objectively assess their situation, set goals for themselves and pay attention to their nutrition, the transition into adulthood can be much smoother.
Gammage was therefore inspired to develop Holistic Girl, an eight-week programme designed to help young girls become confident, independent women.
She says her own battle with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune hyperactive thyroid disorder, drove her to develop the programme.
“I learnt that a lot of the triggers for this type of disease could have been avoided if I had known how to make better choices when I was younger,” says the 49-year-old British national.
“A lot of times we don’t equip our young girls with enough information and tools to make the right decisions and build a strong foundation. That’s what I would like to do.”
Gammage will offer a trial programme in June, before rolling out longer sessions after the summer. She plans to have between four and 12 youngsters on each eight-week programme. They will meet once a week for 90 minutes and be encouraged to keep a journal in which they can record their goals and maintain a food and physical-activity diary.
“I think peer pressure is a big issue among teenagers,” says Gammage, who moved to the UAE 25 years ago.
“Dubai, in particular, is a very demanding city, and there is a lot of pressure on people to be and look a certain way. While this may be true for teenagers all over the world, here they have an added pressure to conform to the expat lifestyle kind of standards.”
Gammage says a lot of socialising in the UAE happens around food, which is another reason for eating issues among young girls. “It becomes very difficult to make good choices,” she says. “So I’ll be helping them understand how to make those healthy choices.”
Gammage also expects family disagreements to be high on the discussion agenda.
“We live in a society with several nationalities,” she says. “And while that is great, it’s a dilemma for teenagers looking to fit in without disregarding their own culture.”
The counsellor will encourage the girls to explore their feelings and set realistic goals in the first few sessions. They will discuss the influence of celebrities and social media, and importance of lifestyle, nutrition, family and friendships. The final session will be dedicated to fun activities that introduce the basics of deportment and grooming.
Gammage says she wants to encourage an open discussion in a non-judgemental setting. “There are a lot of commonalities in issues young girls face, and so this is a forum to be open and converse,” she says. “Sometimes it’s just a case of: ‘Wow, I didn’t know you also have the same problem.’”
Tracey Furey, the mother of a 13-year-old girl, says she has a good, frank relationship with her daughter, Sophia, but a programme such as this would be beneficial to help guide Sophia towards expressing herself confidently and defining her parameters of success.
“No matter how good we are as parents, teenagers will face issues, as they are fragile at this age,” says Furey.
“I think sometimes children find it easier to discuss issues with their peers rather than family members.
“If you look at teenagers today, they are bombarded with social media and videos telling them that they need to be perfect and wonderful. That’s a lot of pressure and someone needs to explain to them that everyone’s ‘perfect’ is different.”
Gammage says she also wants young girls to be able to confidently say “no” by the end of the programme.
“They must not feel intimidated or guilty, strive to be happy and proud of the decisions they make and stay healthy,” she says.
aahmed@thenational.ae
