Alex’s Story: A journey to navigating emotions and finding belonging

Through regular counselling sessions, Alex was able to engage with her feelings more and gain an understanding of the part her anxiety played. She was able to explore how she could take accountability for her actions to grow trust and respect in her relationships.

Rishika says her favourite visual tool was using a recipe list of the ingredients, in this case, that could cause a fight. This successfully helped Alex understand how her actions can escalate a situation rather than solve the problem.

Now in Grade 5, Alex understands what her triggers are and importantly, how to identify and respond to her big emotions.

“Now she’s able to take ownership for her actions and name the unhelpful behaviours that escalate fights. She can now bring a surprisingly balanced perspective to the situation,” Rishika said.

Rishika also worked closely with Alex’s mother to help her understand her child’s hidden emotions and was able to provide strategies to support them at home.

“It’s been amazing to watch Alex figure it out. She was really engaged in counselling and was willing to deal with the discomfort of knowing she had potentially done something wrong,” Rishika reflects.

Alex and Rishika have recently wrapped up their time together in counselling. Goodbyes may have been bittersweet, but Rishika is still available at the school if further support is needed in the future.