A Big Move for Andrew, Led to Big Changes
Andrew found himself completely out of his element when his family moved from California to Bellevue the summer before his junior year of high school. He left his friends, girlfriend and the water polo team. He attempted to put a life together in a new, unfamiliar place. It wasn’t long that Andrew developed severe depression and was taken to Seattle Childrens’ Hospital where it was recommended that Andrew seek the youth and family counseling services at Youth Eastside Services (YES).
At first, Andrew didn’t believe that his situation could improve and he was resistant. YES Behavioral Health Support Specialist Sean Carvey helped Andrew change his perspective.
“The most helpful thing was having an objective, non-biased person to talk to,” Andrew said.
Another benefit of Andrew’s recovery was involving his mom and dad in counseling sessions. “Last year we couldn’t even talk to him [Andrew]. Sean worked as a mediator between us to help us communicate with Andrew, and him with us. Although it was Andrew who was in counseling, we also felt incredibly supported as parents. We felt validated with our feelings and concerns,” said Kristin.
In his senior year of high school, Andrew started to reach out to others and grew his social connections. He also joined a local water polo team. He began to take personal responsibility for his choices and become less impulsive. The family also continued to use the tools they learned in counseling to improve their communication.
This week Andrew graduated from high school, and next fall he’ll head back to California to reconnect with his friends and start school at Saddleback College, where he’ll also continue his passion for water polo.
He wants to remind others who may be struggling that, “It’s a lot more normal than you think. It’s very, very normal for a teenager in high school to be depressed or have anxiety, and going to counseling can help.”
If you or someone you know (age birth to 22) is struggling with anxiety, depression, suicide ideation, bullying or other issues related to mental health. Please contact us to schedule an appointment at 425-747-4937 or visit us at our Bellevue location during our walk-in Open Access hours (Monday-Thursday 12 P.M. – 4 P.M.) for immediate assessment of mental health and substance use disorders.