Back to all posts

“Hannah believes she’s a burden and inherently unlikeable.”

Stories   |   February 25th, 2020

Upside 2020 website 2822

“Hannah* believes she’s a burden and inherently unlikeable.” Child Psychologist

Hannah was 13 when she was referred to us. She lives with her father and two siblings. Hannah suffered from severe social anxiety and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder following prolonged experiences of trauma, sexual and emotional abuse.

When we first met Hannah, she could only manage going to school one to two hours per week and her only friend was her bird, Cordelia. School and social settings made her anxiety disabling and she was really struggling to cope with her situation.

When we paired Hannah with a mentor, her life got a bit more bearable. Inspired to achieve positive change, her mentor was a catalyst for her growth in confidence and ability to make new friends. We recently received positive feedback from Hannah’s psychologist that she has noticed a remarkable improvement in her confidence since she was matched with her mentor.

Hannah’s now attending school four days a week and she’s made a friend her age (who has a bird as well)!

*Not pictured and names have been changed