Meet Norah

Suicidal ideation, low self-esteem and persistent depression brought fifteen-year-old Norah to Casa Pacifica. The high schooler was being bullied and was withdrawing from friends, classmates and things that previously brought her joy. She frequently expressed a desire to harm herself. Her mother’s battle with cancer was also taking a toll on her emotional health.

Her family was growing distraught over Norah’s low self-esteem and her tendency to spend hours alone in her room glued to her computer.

“We felt powerless to help her,” said her father.

A large part of every child’s journey at Casa Pacifica is a comprehensive assessment to determine what’s behind challenging behaviors and provide appropriate, individualized treatment. In Norah’s case, Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS) was identified as an effective approach to managing her fluctuating moods and improving her coping skills. TBS is a short-term program that focuses on changing a child’s behavior, while emphasizing the child’s strengths.

As part of treatment, the therapeutic team works with parents or caregivers, in addition to the youth, to increase successful behaviors and learn new ways of reducing conflict. Parents – who participate in regular therapeutic sessions as part of their child’s treatment – are encouraged to practice the skills with their child either during therapy or at home.

Norah was fortunate to have the support of her family, especially her father, who tried to take an empathetic approach in understanding Norah’s anger and unhappiness. “The most helpful thing about TBS was perspective. I was really able to understand the source of my child’s unhappiness and what she was going through,” he says.

Although initially wary of TBS and reluctant to open up, Norah eventually began to build trust with her care team, who were focused on increasing her self-esteem and self-acceptance. After several weeks she learned to tap into replacement behaviors, such as mindfulness, to reduce her self-doubt and her preference to isolate. She was also given an opportunity to meet with an individual who listened to her discuss her emotions without judgment. Norah credits this experience with beginning to feel more hopeful about treatment and her own future.

“That was one of the first times I really felt heard. That’s when things started to turn around for me,” she says.

After four months, her family and care team noticed a significant change. Norah no longer expressed a desire to end her life or to harm herself. She became more interested in school and in reacquainting with friends. She began to spend less time alone in her room on the computer and more time with her parents. She enjoyed playing paintball with her brother and smiled more than her family ever remembered.  Today Norah is back in school. She has established a safe group of friends for support and has a more positive outlook. “I have quick thoughts now about self-harm; I no longer have a plan,” she says. “I’m more motivated to do things. I take more of an interest in life. Casa Pacifica gave me the tools to help me face challenges, and I will always be thankful.”