Melissa
Ten-year-old Melissa was struggling in school. She had high levels of anxiety that led to regular meltdowns, she was unable to focus on her school work, and did not want to go to school. Melissa began to see a Western Youth Services (WYS) therapist in school who learned through their discussions that Melissa’s mom, a […]
Celeste
Celeste reached out to WYS when she realized that her anxiety about doing something embarrassing in public the fear of rejection from friends, turned debilitating over a six month period and these feelings were keeping her from living an active, happy life. At 19 years old, Celeste’s world should have been full of new experiences […]
Fernando
When ten-year-old Fernando came to Western Youth Services, he was emotionally closed off and isolated from his family and friends. When he first came into the office he sat in the corner, hiding behind his mother and communicated only through her. He had a habit of hiding himself inside a warm sweater, even on hot […]
Taylor
At 14 years old, Taylor was fighting with his mom and his siblings and was becoming known as a behavior problem at school. He was angry, verbally and physically aggressive, and his mom was terrified that things would get worse as he grew older. Knowing that they needed help as a family, Taylor and his […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Angel
Our story of Angel and his mom provides a unique glimpse into a family therapy session. Eleven-year-old Angel had been meeting individually with the WYS therapist to establish trust and to learn about him. The therapist asked Angel’s mom, Rosa, to schedule a special time to meet together as a family. The therapist felt there […]
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 […]