From Youth
Jen’s story
When I first called Turning Point I didn’t believe it would be any help as I thought I had heard it all. I felt hopeless and helpless when I first walked in. I was nervous for the first few sessions because I thought I was being judged. I didn’t believe there was a cure for how I was feeling because I felt as though I was at rock bottom and stuck. As my sessions continued once a week I began to realize how far I had truly come, and I realized that I am much stronger than I thought. Turning Point gave me a safe place, a place where I could cry, scream and just let go of everything, and for that I am eternally thankful. After being there for just over 6 months, I walked out of that building knowing more of who I am as a person and knowing what my strengths and abilities are. Without Turning Point I can honestly say I would not be where I am today.
-JW
Simon’s story
I know my parents were super worried about me when they sent me to Turning Point. The doctors said that I was suffering from an anxiety disorder. All I remember is that my life was not good. I was constantly missing school. In fact I missed an entire year of school. I lost most of my friends, and was fighting a lot with the one friend that stuck by me. My anxiety was so severe that most days I couldn’t go out of the house. That’s when my parents got me into counselling at Turning Point. My counsellor was amazing. She helped me deal with my feelings, and she taught me skills to help me cope with my anxiety. It made a huge difference for me, and helped me to turn things around. I am back in school now and I have new friends. Life is good. I am so thankful that Turning Point was there for me and my family.
-SN
John’s story
At 16 I got into trouble with the law and life at home was stressful. I came to Turning Point to try and deal with my legal issue. I was referred to the PATH program and the staff there helped me to connect to the Turning Point Shelter after things started to fall apart for me at home. The staff listened to me and understood what was important to me. After some time I left and moved into transitional housing and went back to school. At one point I actually moved back into the shelter for a while, but now I have moved into permanent housing and things are good. The Turning Point staff were there for me when I needed them, and I can’t thank them enough for their help over the years.
-JT
From Parents
Tyler’s Parents’ Story
Our son had been struggling for a while. He was very isolated and depressed. He was feeling extremely hopeless, and was having suicidal thoughts. It was a really difficult time. Then he received a placement in the Live-In Treatment program at Turning Point. It gave him a new start in a therapeutic environment. While he lived there he attended high school, worked part-time and learned to live in the structure provided. Discipline and routine were easier for him to accept there. There were no judgements of him or our family. We were treated with kindness, respect and understanding. His strengths were quickly identified and opportunities created to develop those strengths. He started volunteering and taking a leadership role in group meetings. He gained confidence and started to consider the consequences of his actions when resolving conflicts. His relationships began to improve. Our son spent 6 months in the program and we worked with staff to support his success. He saw that his contributions made a difference. This spring he will graduate from university, and we are very proud of our son and the steps he took to change his future. We are so very grateful to the staff in the residence for their role in getting us here.
-AT and PE
