Finding My Voice – Tommy 12

Before I started mentoring with Young Gloucestershire I was feeling really low and I was feeling more anxious. I could not explain how I was feeling or why, and this was really hard for me.

I first met my Section 19 Youth Worker at her office. I came with my mum, and we answered some really silly and funny questions and played UNO; I won the game, and I really liked winning. I felt I could trust my Youth Worker so after our first session I came to all the other sessions on my own.
During our sessions my Youth Worker started to make me realise all of the positive traits that I have and how I can use these to help manage my anxiety. I really wanted to go to school like a ‘normal’ young person. My Youth Worker helped me to make a plan that was realistic for me and to stop punishing myself for not being like everyone else and to focus on all the amazing things I have to offer.

My Youth Worker showed me how important it was to have my voice heard and not to be afraid to let people know how I feel about situations. We wrote an email together for my school about how I want to get back into education, but at a pace that would work for me. I felt like I was finally being heard. My confidence grew during our sessions, and I started to practice using a more positive voice when talking to myself. I was not very kind to myself, but I have now learnt to be. I am also now attending school for some of my Academy 21 live lessons.

“[The support] was thoroughly helpful. He saw that he was not the only person going through this and that he had a voice in all the adult conversations.”