Amy* and Allen* are siblings who love each other very much. Unfortunately, they have not had the easiest start to their lives.
Though they had a secure place to live and good connections in their community, their homelife wasn’t stable.
Their parents have a history of alcohol and drug use, which fuelled domestic violence in their home. With this upbringing, Amy and Allen had developed some concerning issues that had spread to other parts of their lives.
Allen had dropped out of school due to severe bullying. Sometimes he was bullied, other times he was the bully. This, along with changing schools, left him feeling a lack of connection to those around him.
Allen would also regularly clash with his mother which would cause both young people and their mother to experience anxiety.
Amy was also struggling at school. Feeling embarrassed and judged by the other students, she became unwell which added to her school struggles.
The mental health of Amy and Allen wasn’t good, with the anxiety they were both experiencing.
This led to communication struggles, with negativity dominating the family’s interactions. Amy and Allen found it challenging to express their feelings because of this. They couldn’t communicate the big feelings they were feeling.
However, they wanted to change and wanted to work with MacKillop.
Learning the skills that help to manage conflict was a huge step for everyone in the family. This allowed for more positive communication and meant the family could function better together.
Amy and Allen could express those big feelings now, and their Mum had the confidence to support them.
With more positive family rules and expectations in place, Allen’s relationship with his mother improved.
Amy also recovered from her illness and returned to school where she is doing much better.
With the support of the MacKillop Functional Family Therapy program, Amy and Allen are happy in a safe, stable, and supportive home environment.
You can read more about the program by clicking the button below.
