My attendance is up in school. I now believe that school is not so bad of a place.
Every year, thousands of young people like Teddie experience emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA) which is often rooted social challenges and mental health struggles.
“I experienced being bullied and this impacted my social anxiety. I then found it really difficult to attend school,” said Teddie.
Our one-to-one programme provides a safe, non-judgemental space where young people can explore their feelings and find ways to reconnect with learning and everyday life.
In the first few sessions, Teddie and Katie, Teddie’s Programme Lead, bonded over their shared interests. “As we got to know each other and spoke about our passions (we both loved David Bowie!), I could see Teddie begin to relax and open up,” said Katie.
To explore Teddie’s feelings further, Katie introduced a creative activity where Teddie drew her ‘worst’ classroom alongside her ‘dream’ classroom.
This allowed Teddie to imagine a school environment that made her feel happier, and it gave Katie valuable insights to share with Teddie’s teachers to improve Teddie’s school life.
Having support from someone who doesn’t know you as well [as others] and is a neutral person was especially helpful as it can be hard to approach my friends, family and teachers.
Teddie and Katie also created a resilience jar, which they filled with positive messages and reminders about Teddie’s strengths. It became a simple but effective way for her to cope when things felt difficult.
Teddie said, “It was a fun activity, and it helps me when I’m struggling at home because I can look in the jars for all the reminders about my strengths, goals and important relationships.”
By the end of the programme, Teddie was visibly more relaxed. “She was always excited to tell me about her week and all the different things she had done with her friend,” said Katie.
Teddie is now attending school more and it has become a positive part of her life. “My attendance is up in school. I now believe that school is not so bad of a place,” said Teddie.
Thanks to the one-to-one support she received, Teddie feels confident expressing her feelings, has discovered practical coping strategies and is excited about the future. Building trust and providing dedicated emotional support can help young people work through EBSA and re-engage with their education.
She said, “I feel like a much more confident person. I feel like I am doing more stuff for myself and with my family and friends. With Katie’s encouragement, I have also started to take more healthy risks like doing more stuff outside of school.”
My mental health has gotten much better, and I am feeling better about myself. I am determined to get good grades so I can get a good job.
