“George* used to be a heartbreaker.
Thanks to you, he and his mum have learned how to heal their hearts.”
Nobody deliberately wants to break a mother’s heart. But George did it all the time.
The 15-year-old would throw tantrums at home, punch walls, damage the furniture, curse and lash out at his mother Anne* before storming off. There were days and nights when Anne didn’t know where George was or whether he was ever coming back. No one else was there to help them get along with each other. George is the youngest of five boys and lived alone with his mum. Since he last saw his dad at the age of five, George’s growing frustration and anger had begun to simmer. By the time he was a teenager, those feelings had exploded into violence.
Anne was afraid that George’s frequent outbursts and nights away from home would lead him down the wrong path. She wasn’t feeling strong enough to cope because she suffered from chronic, debilitating migraines. One night after another outburst, George realised he needed help and he agreed to meet a counsellor.
Our Family Works counsellor and George shared connections. The two began a friendly conversation and quickly built a rapport. George welcomed the counsellor’s help and together they developed safety plans for George when he needed to take time out and calm down. During the counselling sessions, George learned other ways to cope with grief and anger, and how to be more resilient. The counsellor also helped him to identify support people he could talk to when things got too tough.
The counsellor also worked with Anne to help her understand the difficult transitions George was facing as a teenager and she began to see things from her son’s perspective.
George’s tantrums and violent outbursts are now far less common. He enjoys school, is committed to his sports, works during the holidays and is motivated to pursue his goals. More importantly, the trust and loving bond between George and his mum have been restored.
*Names changed and models used to protect identity
