Page 5 - childfamily2019annual

0 5 Annua] Report 2019
ALEX

Ch.i!d-re11 a11d youth. who exprnss suicidal 01· h.omicida! th.oughts
m·e see11 imm.ediate!), f01· crisis i11ten,e11tio11.

Al ex struggled with anxiety and depression for a
year. He was constantly '".rorrying and often became very
agitated. His thoughts were clouded and he did not want to
exist, feeling like a burden, and always feeling numb. His
mother brought him to the Agency's crisis department when
he threatened suicide.

0 nee stabilized, he began weekly sessions with his therapist.
He continued to have on and off again suicidal ideation. His
grades at school declined dramatically. Finally, one day he
told his th era pi st that he was having trouble with
his sexual identity and ultimately shared that they were
transgen der, non-binary, identifying more with female gender,
and disclosed pref erred pronouns of they /them. They didn't
know how to tell their parents, and were scared of how they
would react. Through family sessions, Alex began to feel more
comfortable and opened up to their parents, who were
supportive, but felt unprepared to tackle.

Both parents met with the therapist to process their own
feelings regarding Alex's identity, and how they can give
support. Their parents actively collaborated with them and
their therapist, and shared their needs and how they could
help. The parents learned about the importance of keeping
Al ex safe and being involved in their demonstrations, support
and acceptance.

As they continued treatment, their peer interactions and
connections at school improved. They took on leadership roles
in school. They began to feel more positive about 1 ife,
expressing feeling happier in their own skin and were able to
manage their anxious thoughts and feelings. They have
successfully completed therapy and have coping skills such as
grounding to stay focused. Al ex is currently attending
university out of state and are studying communications. They
are passionate about advocating for LG BT Q youth aft er
successfully overcoming their own struggles.