Brian, a 16 year old high school sophomore, came to Falcone Institute feeling depressed and hopeless. He felt overwhelmed with the demands of school and athletics and unprepared to deal with stressors within his family. In addition to failing in school, Brian's parents were more fearful that he would turn to drugs and alcohol and engage in other self-destructive behaviors to deal with his feelings of sadness and overwhelm.

Learning and academic achievement never came easy to Brian; however, he was able to manage his learning issues in elementary and middle school. High school has been an even greater challenge for Brian given the increased workload and hectic schedule of after-school sports. Brian struggled to keep his head above water during his freshman year, but now questioned whether or not he could or wanted to stay afloat this year. He felt lost and out-of-place both socially and academically. At home, Brian's siblings had all moved away for college, leaving him feeling alone in a house that experienced frequent conflict and stressors. Brian felt angry and trapped.

Brian wanted to feel good about himself. He wanted to get back on track with school and pass his classes. He also wanted to learn how to deal with challenging emotions and uncomfortable feelings with his friends and family. Brian's parents wanted him to be safe and make healthy choices for himself. They wanted their son to be happy and successful both personally and academically.

Falcone Institute conducted a learning assessment with Brian to determine that his learning challenges were due to difficulties with language comprehension. Also, after exploring and understanding family history, Falcone Institute recognized a sibling pattern of depression and withdrawal. Brian was beginning to repeat the attitude and behaviors modeled by his older siblings rather than allowing his true self to shine.

Over the past 4 months, we have helped Brian develop greater awareness and control over his emotions and perceptions. We have addressed Brian's negative core beliefs, transforming his mind and body to internalize greater self-esteem and personal empowerment. We taught Brian specific learning skills for language comprehension to help him follow through and succeed with his academic responsibilities. We worked with Brian's parents and siblings to create clear boundaries and foster positive conflict resolution within the home.

Brian is now feeling good about himself and confident he can learn and succeed. Brian passed his first semester courses and now feels more prepared and comfortable in school. Brian is clean from drugs and alcohol and is finding happiness once again playing his guitar and spending time with his family and friends.

Personal Empowerment