Thank you for connecting with me @kidzonia.  Along with the self-harm, we have noticed a decrease in what K is eating. She has reduced the size of her meals and tends to avoid eating between meals. We try to eat most evening meals together as a family so I know she is getting at least one well balanced meal per day. She takes lunch to school each day too but I have no way to monitor if she is eating it or not.   I suspect one of the major contributing factors is some ongoing bullying from peers at school. Most of the girls in her age group are still very young looking for 15 and could quite easily be mistaken for very early teens. K is quite tall and has already developed a very mature figure which has made her a target.  I feel her lack of self confidence and skewed self image are definitely contributing factors. How do I help her see herself the way we do?  ... View more

@Emily-RO Thank you for your response and the links to the reading material. I am grateful  for any resources that might guide me in helping K with her current struggles.  My larger family circle tend to approach problems with a “sweep it under the carpet and hope it goes away” attitude which certainly isn’t helpful. It also means that I’m not very good with knowing what to say or how to say things to encourage my daughter to talk about what is causing her so much pain. Any advice from those who have been in similar shoes  would be most appreciated.  ... View more