Single mum Suzanne was at her wits end. Her son Jack, who is autistic, was finding the transition to secondary school difficult. Since COVID, his anxiety had worsened and he was reluctant to attend school. Most mornings were a battle for Suzanne and when Jack’s school referred him to Platform for Life, it was suggested Suzanne refer herself for support too.
In her first session Suzanne was able to offload how Jack refusing to go to school was the last straw. She was struggling with her own health issues, in pain, her mobility impaired. She was also dealing with Housing over the anti-social behaviour of her neighbours. Her stress levels were overwhelming her, causing familiar feelings of helplessness to surface.
Suzanne previously had counselling with us some years ago, when she broke free from a controlling and coercive relationship. She found herself revisiting those complicated thoughts and feelings she had towards that relationship. As the sessions progressed, she began to realise the sense of powerlessness she felt in the present belonged in the past. The anxiety provoked by her current issues had triggered familiar feelings that made her feel vulnerable.
Once Suzanne made sense of and worked through her feelings, her confidence grew. She began to trust herself again and felt able to deal with the challenges in her life.
“I was extremely grateful I was able to access the service again and that it was also available for Jack. I can’t thank you enough.”
Interested in reading our other case studies? Learn all about Mia’s story next.
