Paige, a 19-Year-Old Struggling to Find Direction

Paige was an average student in high school, but her parents really pushed her to go to college. They thought that being exposed to a live-away college community would be good for her maturation and give her an opportunity to discover what she might want to do with her life. Paige agreed to go more to please her parents  than her own desire to attend college.

She felt awkward from the moment she stepped onto campus. She really didn’t fit in and had trouble making new friends. She enjoyed some of her classes but after several weeks began attending less and less. During this time, she bonded with a group of heavy pot smokers and was high more often than not. Halfway through her first semester, she received her mid-term grades which showed her failing two courses and performing at the level of a “D” in three other classes. Her parents immediately intervened and brought her home.

At home, Paige became confused and had no idea of what she wanted to do. She reconnected with some of her high school friends and like at college, became involved with a group of heavy pot smokers. Her parents constantly smelled the odor of cannabis around her whenever she entered the house and admonished her but did not want to go overboard given the circumstances. Soon she began aggressively “sleeping around” and staying out all night, further worrying her parents.

Her parents then admitted her into The Connections program. The Connections team concluded that Paige was suffering from a lack of self-esteem and that her promiscuity was her way of yearning for acceptance; however, using promiscuity as a solution for her yearning for acceptance only exacerbated her low self-esteem.

Along with Paige and her parents, the team developed a plan. Paige would go to individual counseling once per week and group-counseling with other girls her age who also abused pot once per week. Family counseling would be once per week, every other week with her parents alone and the other with both Paige and her parents. Paige would have two physical training sessions per week and her coaches would concentrate on healthy group activities and determining what she really likes to do so she could eventually form longer term goals. 

After 90 days, the entire Connections team met to review Paige’s progress and concluded she had shown moderate improvement. Of particular significance was that she demonstrated an interest in art; in particular some of her pencil sketches were quite good. It was agreed that this talent should be encouraged and fostered. The modified plan would include the same number of total sessions per week, but both of her coaching sessions would be with an art therapist who would help her develop her talent and apply it to her emotional development.

*All therapy sessions are 45 minutes and personal training sessions are 30 minutes. Coaching sessions is an hour. Family sessions are an hour