At 15 years old, Marcus didn’t have many friends at school. In fact, Marcus was often bullied by his classmates, teased for being smaller in size and very shy. Because school could be frightening for Marcus, Marcus often retreated into himself, not talking with his parents and suffering from anxiety attacks. His parents became alarmed and met with his teachers repeatedly to create a safety plan for Marcus. The school referred Marcus’ parents to the Family Care Network’s Out Patient Counseling program, explaining that Marcus would be matched with a therapist who would help him with his anxiety and coping skills.

When Marcus began to meet with his therapist, the sessions were focused on the therapist getting to know Marcus and his needs. When the two had established a trusting relationship, Marcus was able to talk through many of his anxieties, describing how his peers treated him and how it made him feel. Marcus and his therapist talked a great deal about bullying, his therapist explaining what caused people to bully others. Marcus and his therapist also worked on different skills for dealing with bullies and how Marcus could establish healthy outlets in his life to help ease his anxieties. From their sessions, the therapist learned that Marcus loved running and always felt better after he had gone on a long run. Marcus and his therapist also met several times with Marcus’ parents, discussing Marcus’ anxiety triggers and what his parents could do to support their son. The group decided it would be helpful for Marcus to get involved in a positive school activity, such as the school’s Cross Country team, so he could establish positive peer relations while also engaging in a healthy coping activity.

Since meeting with an Out Patient Counseling therapist, Marcus has learned more about his personal strength and how to deal with the ups and downs of life. Also, by understanding the reasons why people bully, Marcus has learned better ways of responding when being bullied which has worked to reduce the bullying he receives at school. Marcus has also enjoyed making new friends on the Cross-Country team and is looking forward to trying out for the track team in the spring. Overall, Marcus has become a happier, more outgoing young man, learning that he can roll with the punches of life instead of hiding from them.

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*names and photos of clients are ficticious to protect their identity