“For the first time in a long while, I feel like I am slowly getting my daughter back. She has hope, she trusts again, and she is starting to believe in herself.” – Katie, Emily’s mum* (names and photo changed to protect privacy)

When Emily started high school, her mum Katie braced herself to deal with the ups and downs of the teenage years. But Emily was pulled fast – too fast – into the high school world. She struggled with peer pressure, developing anxiety and panic attacks, and Katie knew that these challenges were rapidly becoming more complex than she could manage on her own.

Seeing Emily feeling so lost and in pain broke Katie’s heart. She was desperate to find something affordable that could give Emily the right help, a safe space where she could be heard, seen, and supported. But Katie didn’t know where to turn.

“My daughter did not need someone with textbook answers. She needed someone who could meet her where she was, to listen and build trust. Before Youth Focus, I felt lost trying to navigate a system that seemed built for the 'average' case rather than the real and individual struggles our teens face.”