Therapy Matters: "So This is What normal Feels Like".

By Therapist David Simpson
 

Last year, I began working with a pleasant and polite young man who found himself very confused/conflicted and saddened by the circumstances of his young life.

The young man had very limited friendships of his own age due to the homelessness he and his family frequently experienced.  The client had no significant male role models and his family dynamics were very skewed, not allowing him to genuinely develop a sense of self or healthy self-esteem.

This young person was on the verge of developing a significant chronic depression. The client was initially (by his own admission) hesitant to engage individual counseling. Yet, he was active in attending his individual counseling sessions, exploring/expressing thoughts, concerns and “secrets” he had held onto throughout his childhood.

He would often say with a smile “so this is what normal feels like”.

Although the counseling sessions were limited as a result of the family’s length of residence at Community LINC, he was able to confide, trust and accept support, guidance.

 

Children Matter: "I am more than your image of me"

By Child Therapist Casondra Foster

 

****** is a teen who did not like to meet with her therapist or participate in the teen groups. 

 

During the month of November we did a teen group “myths of the media” where we discussed on some of the incorrect perceptions that are displayed or glorified by the music that we listen to and the videos that we watch.  This particular group generated a lot of conversation about how music portrays women and the importance of knowing your own self-worth. 

 

There was some disclosure among the group about similar life experiences.  *****  took this opportunity to open up to the group about some of her previous experiences before she moved to Community LINC and some of the current challenges that she faces in her home. 

 

She was empowered by encouragement from her teen group facilitators and peers to not settle for what society views her as, but to always be willing to speak up for herself. 

 

She began to meet regularly with her therapist and reach out for help with addressing her feelings of “being left behind” at her school. 

 

She is currently more outspoken and does not hesitate to reach out for the support of her therapist to assist with her issues at her current school and other issues that prevalent in her life.  She has also been able to mend some of the previously damaged relationships with others in her teen group.

 

Children Matter: Longing to be like everybody else

By Ryan Blake, Children’s Program Director

I think there is a direct correlation between poverty, homelessness and self-esteem. Many children are embarrassed to appear poor. That's why you'll see children receiving free school lunches with a nice outfit, expensive shoes, and a new cell phone. They want to look like the  middle class students.

Another example of students being embarrassed by their family’s financial situation is an unwillingness to be associated with Community LINC.

We have a Community LINC Teen Facebook page where teens can keep in touch with us. None of the teens have wanted to join the page, because they don’t want their friends to know they lived here.

I also noticed that sometimes the school bus lets out our children around the corner from our building. When I asked why they get dropped off over there, the kids told me they don’t want people to know where they live.

Self-esteem is a major topic that we talk about with our students. I want them to see a connection with making the right choices and feeling good about themselves.

A month ago I was teaching a class of 5th grade boys about self-esteem. When I asked the class if where you live affects your self-esteem, 10 year Jamal silenced the class with his answer.

Jamal said, "I think it’s harder for people who live in the hood to have high self-esteem”. He explained that “there are people doing drugs, hookers, and killing people, and tons of crime in the hood, it’s harder to be happy with so many negative things happening every day.” 

I asked them if it was true for the neighborhood where Community LINC is, and everyone agreed that this neighborhood isn’t that bad.  I questioned them about it, and they gave me an example of a pair of shoes a student was wearing. “See Robert’s Nikes… he can walk down the street with them on and not worry, if it was a bad neighborhood Robert could get beaten up for his shoes.”