ABOUT ME

My name is Damon Bachegalup BA (Hons), Dip (Couns)L7, L6 mediator, Teen Behavioural Consultant, Psychotherapist, Supervisor and Author. I am the founder and Head Counsellor / Psychotherapist at Teencamps-UK since 2008.

Prior to becoming a Counsellor, I was a HGV truck driver and a doorman working in and around Manchester for 12 years (and I got up to very bad things in the 1990’s).

My Dad passed away in 1999 and I left everything and everyone and went backpacking around the world. I returned to the UK in 2001 and being severely dyslexic with little education I enrolled at a local college for 2 years to learn how to read and write at the age of 40. I then attended university to train to become a social worker and one of my tutors advised that “You can read all the books, get diplomas, degrees, masters and all the pieces of paper with letters after your name but you will learn more about people by volunteering". I took their advice and volunteered in many different roles from a youth worker, mentor, mediator, life skills worker, counsellor, lone parent advisor, foster parent and more.

In 2006 I watched a TV programme called "Brat Camp” on Channel 4 where teenagers from the UK went to the USA to attend camps for their bad behaviour. I decided that that was what I wanted to do, so I researched and found there were none in the UK. I asked my tutors, other students, other therapists (and even the BACP) if it was a good idea to start one in the UK and they all said "NO" as too much could go wrong by taking groups of teenagers camping outdoors. I was advised again and again not to do it but I ignored all their advice and I now run them successfully in the UK, Germany, Spain and Australia.

I have helped 100's of teenagers and their families over the years and have only had one "very bad" review and 2 "not happy" reviews since 2008. Things do go very wrong from time to time but there’s nothing that can't be sorted. I do make mistakes on camp but l learn from them and learn more about myself each time. The day I get to the point where I think I know everything is the day when I'll know when to stop.

I am a teenage behavioural consultant and I have worked with young people and their families for over 24 years. I use a mixture of therapeutic approaches, my own life skills, mentoring and mediation skills to identity what will work best for the teenager as I truly believe that one size does not fit all. After identifying a lack of specialist help and support for teens, parents and families, in the UK and internationally,