Amal & Kalila
Mother-daughter relationships are challenging, especially during the teen years. Amal and her 16-year-old daughter Kalila came to WYS with communication problems and because they seemed constantly angry at one another. Amal was watching their relationship “grow apart,” and she desperately wanted to help her daughter through this difficult time. Amal shared that the communication issues […]
Sofia
Sofia was in the 2nd grade when she came to WYS. She was very guarded and shy, she had attachment issues and it was a bit of a challenge to coax her to participate in counseling services. We utilized play therapy with Sofia. As we played games and colored some of her favorite Disney Princesses, […]
Ms. Jones
5th grade Ms. Jones was the 5 th grade teacher that no kid wanted to get. She was described as cold, mean, “old-school”, and had a reputation among the staff at the school for being a naysayer of positive ideas. Her colleagues spent a great deal of time trying to increase her skills and compassion […]
Patty
Patty had an anxiety attack at school. She didn’t know what was happening but felt major pressure in her chest and anxiousness pulsing through her body. She told her school counselor about it and explained that she wanted to kill herself because she was so afraid. She met with a counselor at her school for […]
Natalie
Natalie came to Western Youth Services because she was starting to get into trouble at home and at school for losing her temper and shouting at her family and friends. She wanted help but wasn’t sure what that meant. She explained that she felt a deep sadness most days and was confused about her sexual […]
Brianna
Brianna was adopted by her aunt and uncle at a young age and then removed from their home at age 14 because of physical abuse. At the start of therapy at Western Youth Services, Brianna was not concentrating in school, skipping classes, and feeling unmotivated and sad. She was recently reunified with her aunt and […]
Cassandra
Cassandra’s 13 year-old daughter was referred to Western Youth Services for behavioral concerns. After visiting with her family, our Outreach and Engagement Specialist felt that all the members of her family could benefit from our services. Cassandra was separated from her husband and raising 5 children alone. She was living in poverty, had signs of […]
Jade
From the very moment we saw Jade, it was apparent how much she was hurting and how critically she needed the support of her mother. When Jade came to Western Youth Services she was dealing with issues related to anger and impulsivity. She was experiencing suicidal thoughts that had led to multiple hospitalizations. She was […]
Kira
When Kira was referred to WYS from the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) eating disorder clinic, she was suffering from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) which is where you can’t stop thinking about your real or perceived flaws. In Kira’s case, her BDD resulted in her restricting her eating, exercising three times a day, leading […]
Amara
At 13 years old Amara was living in foster care, depressed and dealing with the complicated feelings that came from being separated from her family. She struggled with feeling depressed on a daily basis, became increasingly withdrawn and was receiving poor grades. She felt the family that she was living with weren’t taking the time […]