Children from foster families are kids who have already experienced a lot. Loss, changes, searching for themselves, fear of being unnecessary. But, like any teenagers, they want to make friends, study, fall in love, be understood and heard.
At the age of 13, Anya ended up in a foster family. Despite good relations with her new parents, the girl felt insecure, withdrew into herself and avoided communication. While her peers were making friends, Anya spent her days alone. Studying was difficult, and her mood was often on the verge of depression. She did not know how to defend her boundaries, fearing that she would be rejected.
Her parents were worried: Anya seemed to consider herself unworthy of good, a “second-class person”. Everything came from the past - an orphanage, and before that - life in an asocial family. Growing up, she was increasingly ashamed of her past, associated herself with it and did not see anything valuable in herself. Anya felt like she wasn't like "normal" kids, and this conviction deeply hurt her.
Group sessions with a psychologist are like a beacon: they won't show the way, won't make a choice for the teenager, but they will shine when it's dark and anxious around them. No one judges them here. They are accepted as they are. Psychologists and mentors work here and they can be trusted. They don't judge, lecture, or label. They learn to talk about feelings, cope with anxiety and anger, and build relationships that are trusting and warm.
So that this light doesn't go out, so that the "beacon" can continue to shine for those who need it most, we really need your support. Every amount is a contribution to someone's resilience, to someone's faith in people, to the opportunity to grow up not alone.
