When we first started working with Sam (16), he was a pleasant, but fragile youth. Overly eager and almost desperate to please others, Sam lived in a state of constant anxiety and dread. This state was continuously nurtured through the challenges he faced caring for his critically ill parent and dealing with—as Sam articulated it—an emotionally abusive, erratically-present other parent.

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Sam’s Challenges

Sam was referred to our services for help developing “mental stamina.” Up to this point in his academic career he had been homeschooled. His chief complaint was “having difficulty dedicating the amount of time necessary to catch up on schoolwork and to retain what I learn.”

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The Solution: Assessment, Education, and Behaviorally-Focused Cognitive Development

When we originally assessed Sam, his cognitive function profile was suggestive of traumatic experience, with concurrent hypervigilance. When we explained to him what we saw in his assessment results and how his neurological function would impact his behavior and experience, he exclaimed “Ah ha! You get me!”

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The Result: Academic Improvement and Emotional Fortitude

We worked with Sam about 3 months before reassessing him. His updated cognitive function profile showed great results—and best of all, it was no longer suggestive of traumatic experience or generalized anxiety. Sam was functioning appropriately for his age. His academics were steadily improving, and he was no longer struggling with “depersonalization.”

Last summer Sam’s parent died. We were very concerned about how he would deal with the loss. Of course, it was a difficult time for Sam. But to our  relief—and amazement—he was dealing with it and the significant life changes better than what I’ve seen in many, more mature adults.

About a month ago I ran into Sam’s talk therapist and we casually discussed and celebrated Sam’s success. To paraphrase the therapist, “What you guys do is amazing—it’s made my work so much easier.”

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