MEET ABBY

Meet Abby*. Abby, 12 years old, was referred to CGC’s Mobile Crisis Intervention Services program after a friend informed the school counselor that Abby confessed to cutting herself and having suicidal thoughts. While she was living in a single parent home with her father, she felt completely alone. Struggling with her sexual identity, she felt rejected by her peers and didn’t know how to talk to her father about her issues.

When the crisis clinician arrived at the school, Abby was having a hard time opening up about her problems. The clinician was patient and comforted Abby, and let her know that she could communicate when she was ready. After slowly growing to trust the clinician, Abby talked about her self-injurious behaviors and the rejection she felt at school due to her sexual identity. She knew she needed help, but she was afraid to tell her father about her feelings because she didn’t want him to look at her differently.

The clinician met with Abby once a week for six weeks to help her overcome her suicidal behavior and to encourage her to discuss her feelings with her father. The clinician also worked with her father to help him understand what triggers his daughter’s behaviors, and how to help her overcome her negative thoughts about herself.  Abby was referred to CGC’s Child and Family Therapy program to help her manage her depression, and communicate more openly with her father about her sexual identity.

* identifying information has been changed