Understanding emotions and behaviours - Bethany's story
Unstable family life
Bethany* was removed from her family home when her dad was struggling to care for her and her younger sister.
As a result, they ended up in foster care. Unfortunately, over time, Bethany’s foster carers were unable to meet her needs, and that’s where our journey with her began.
A challenging start
When Bethany first came to us, her behaviour was very challenging. She struggled to maintain boundaries, would fabricate stories, make allegations, and cause arguments with the other young people she lived with.
So, we worked hard to build a relationship with Bethany and created a stable and caring environment where she could feel safe. We set achievable expectations and consistent boundaries so she could settle into her new surroundings and get into solid routines.
We focused on building Bethany’s confidence and independence by teaching her essential life skills. We showed her how to use a washing machine, cook healthy meals, clean and tidy her room and the communal living areas and manage her finances.
Direct therapeutic input
We also provided therapeutic support to help Bethany deal with her past trauma by encouraging her to talk about her experiences. This helped Bethany understand how to deal with her emotions and memories of those times so that she was better equipped to manage them.
With our support and direct therapeutic input, Bethany has built her resilience and formed positive relationships with us, the other young people she lives with and her classmates at school.
Found her passion
With encouragement and praise, Bethany attended school full-time, completed homework every night and followed a structured revision schedule so that she was ready to sit her GCSE exams. She’s received an offer at a college in her hometown and will study her biggest passion, Dance.
With Bethany’s newfound focus, she’s determined to keep learning and educating herself, especially on the topics she enjoys the most.
Ready for her next step
Bethany will soon move back to her hometown and into semi-independence, where she’ll shop, cook, and clean for herself with the support of the staff in her new accommodation. Bethany is now a confident young woman with a bright future ahead of her, and we’re incredibly proud of everything she’s achieved.
*We have changed the name to protect the young person’s identity.