Angie
At a time of life when most of her peers were looking forward to school dances or planning college, 15-year-old Angie was escaping a lifetime of abuse. Angie was removed from her mother’s care because of neglect and failure to protect her daughter. Angie toiled enormously. She wanted to give up. She couldn’t see past the […]
Savannah
Savannah came to Western Youth Services a few years after she was placed in foster care due to domestic violence. Her history revealed that at the age of 6 years old, she didn’t have the words to describe what she was feeling inside and didn’t understand why she couldn’t be with her mother and siblings. […]
Pamela
By the time Pamela was 16 years old, she was running the streets and refusing to be home. Her mother had given up and stopped trying. With no means of transportation, she wouldn’t be able to get Pamela mental health services anyway. This was until she was able to secure Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS). Pamela […]
Fernando
When ten-year-old Fernando came to Western Youth Services, he was emotionally closed off and isolated from his family and friends. When he first came into the office he sat in the corner, hiding behind his mother and communicated only through her. He had a habit of hiding himself inside a warm sweater, even on hot […]
Maddison
Maddison came to WYS as an overwhelmed mom of three kids. Initially, she was seeking counseling for her 12-year-old son Brian who was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and autism. He was being bullied at school and started to run away from school to avoid facing his bullies. As her story started to unfold, the therapist […]
Kira
When Kira was referred to WYS from the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) eating disorder clinic, she was suffering from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) which is where you can’t stop thinking about your real or perceived flaws. In Kira’s case, her BDD resulted in her restricting her eating, exercising three times a day, leading […]
Evan
When Evan came to WYS he was having suicidal thoughts, auditory hallucinations and social anxiety. He was also struggling with failure to communicate feelings, and problems eating and sleeping regularly — all of which were greatly impacting his grades at school. Evan was demonstrating a high degree of hopelessness, non-compliance with his medication, and resistance […]