James is a man in his early thirties who first came to therapy after surviving a potentially fatal suicide attempt. When he first presented to intake last year, James reported feeling profoundly depressed and unstable – reporting that he had no job, was living with his mom, and felt socially disconnected. He was ambivalent about trying therapy, stating that he had tried therapy in the past and hadn’t found it very helpful.

This time, James was determined to do the work and was motivated to make changes; he started to unpack some of his childhood trauma and began to understand his struggles in relationships in a new light. He opened up about his identity, disclosing that he identified as queer and sometimes thought maybe he should have been born a woman. He learned and practiced coping skills, reporting openly and honestly where he struggled.

After about 6 months of hard work, James is now working in a job he loves, living on his own, has some friends, and reports feeling like he could date again. James still continues to struggle with depression and with interpersonal relationships, but through hard work in therapy, both through reflecting and examining his own patterns and through working with a therapist to rebuild healthy relational connections, James has made tremendous growth and is starting to feel hopeful about the future once again.

If you know someone who could benefit from our clinical services, please share this link with them: https://jfcsatl.org/services/clinical-services