Collaborating with the education sector to improve the health & wellbeing of students and teachers
About me
Hello, I am Dr Rebecca Chellaswamy. I have been a medical doctor for 18 years & have worked in a wide variety of fields of medicine (including paediatrics and psychiatry) during this time. I completed my training to become a general practitioner (GP) in 2012 and now work as an NHS GP in the inner city of Nottingham. I am also a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham and a qualified coach and mentor.
I have been involved in education throughout my career and have extensive experience in both undergraduate and postgraduate settings.
I have had a passion for young people’s health and student wellbeing since 2013 when I became a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP)’s Adolescent Health Group. I worked as a GP at a practice located on a university campus for over four years and in that time, I consulted with and supported thousands of 18-23 year old students. I now work as a university-based clinical academic, a role which includes overseeing the wellbeing and pastoral support of university students.
As a result, I have a deep understanding of the issues & challenges faced by young people from a variety of perspectives.
Why have I created The Student Wellbeing Doctor?
In my roles as a doctor, a clinical academic and a coach/mentor, I have seen first hand the impact of issues which often have their origins in adolescence – up to 75% of mental health conditions present during this time. The teenage years are a time of enormous transformation, biologically, psychologically and socially.
In recent years, NHS waiting lists for young people’s services have increased exponentially - a problem that was compounded by the pandemic. In addition, the thresholds for referral to these services have been raised so that many young people are now ineligible as their symptoms are deemed not severe enough.
This creates huge challenges for the young people themselves but also for their parents & teachers.
I believe that by providing high quality education and support during the teenage years, we have the opportunity to meaningfully alter the trajectory of our young people’s lives. We can reinforce healthy perspectives & habits, support the development of confidence & resilience and educate regarding the early signs of health issues, all of which will make it more likely that our teens will enter the next phase of their lives in as healthy, happy & well adjusted a way as possible.
Rates of stress, burnout & mental health disorders amongst those in the teaching profession are on the rise and this is impacting on recruitment and retention. I believe that no one should need to compromise their own health in order to do their job and safeguarding our teachers’ wellbeing is paramount.
I am passionate about supporting teachers to optimise their own health & wellbeing as well as building their confidence in supporting their students with health-related challenges.
I am keen to break down the traditional barriers between the health and education sectors and to work collaboratively with teachers & schools/colleges to meet the needs of today’s young people.
The teenage years are a time of great change and great potential – this is the period when the trajectory for life is so often set.
How can I help?
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Schools & colleges
I collaborate with schools to break down the barriers between the health & education sectors in order to create strategies/solutions to tackle the challenges facing students & staff today.
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Teachers
I help teachers to feel more confident & empowered to support students with health & wellbeing related challenges. I also support teachers with their own health, wellbeing & work-life balance.
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Students
I deliver educational sessions to provide teens with the knowledge & skills to understand and manage their own health & also to recognise when they might need to seek help.
Let’s work together.
Interested in finding out more? Complete the form below and I’ll be in touch shortly!