Pictured above is renowned psychologist Maria Ruberto speaking at the 2nd young women's mental health seminar held at MacKillop College in Werribee. Maria delivered an excellent presentation to the audience which consisted of many female students and their parents. Maria's key message was that, if you are having negative thoughts about yourself or your current circumstances, don't hesitate to speak to a family member, friend or a professional consultant. Alternatively, you could adopt some techniques to deal with an uncomfortable situation.
We also heard from Alex Chidiac who accepted an invitation to speak at the last minute. Alex has had an insatiable love of soccer since she was a small girl. At the age of 24, she has played top level football in various countries including Spain, Japan and Mexico in addition to stints at various Australian clubs. She was a member of the Matilda's World Cup squad and is now a permanent member of the Melbourne Victory team.
Throughout her 10 years of top line football, Alex has had her highs and lows. She spoke with heartfelt honesty about some of her low points especially when she suffered a long-term injury or when she was overlooked to play. She talked about some of the mechanisms she used to deal with these times.
The mental health evening proved to be a wonderful night, full of positive suggestions to help the attendees to manage their own low points in life.
Click here to view some photos of the evening.