Meet Julia & Shelby
“Before Girl Reimagined, my daughter had been struggling with depression and anxiety for a few years. She was irritable, disengaged, and unmotivated, spending most of her time in bed. Everything I said and did annoyed her. The weight of worry was consuming me. Her isolation and unhealthy coping spirals were not getting better after two years of traditional therapy (we tried 3 different therapists including CBT). She was telling me for months that therapy wasn’t working, she was upset/angry on the drives to and from her appointments, burned out from going around and around in therapy and feeling like she was “broken and couldn’t be fixed.”
We enrolled her in an 8 week after-school group IOP for teens with anxiety and depression. In an ah-ha moment, I noticed that what she really responded to was the group setting and the sessions that had more of an outward outlook. So I started researching, learned about the differences between coaching and traditional therapy, and found Girl Reimagined.
Here’s the difference. My daughter had been told for years by therapists, school counselors, family, that she’s not alone, that she has the power to overcome her struggles and her fears, that she has people she can turn to. Girl Reimagined has actually shown her. She is part of a group of girls and coaches where she can be herself and feel supported, not judged. She can breathe. She is learning that there are girls she can trust. She is gaining tools and healthy coping skills to help her not just get out of bed but engage and feel good about herself - her abilities, her relationships, her outward appearance. It’s plain as day to me now that the connections have made all the difference.
Girl Reimagined has been life-changing for our family. When we started the 12-week program, it wasn’t overnight, but small changes are big breakthroughs, and they kept coming. The weekly parent videos were spot on and very doable. Each little change in outlook or understanding, or way to engage and support her, helped us all move forward together. I felt like I didn’t have to walk on eggshells around her, and we actually talked and smiled.
Now, she seeks us out to spend time, suggests activities, shares stories. She advocates for herself, and we have respectful, calm conversations. I see her putting herself out there (finding a job she loves, volunteering, participating in school activities/clubs), pushing through when she needs to, and learning that it can feel good to engage in the world.
She’s continuing to grow in the Girl Reimagined Flourish program. She has an amazing relationship with her coach and looks forward to their 1:1 sessions, and she is always so positive and happy after the group calls. When I think about how far my daughter has come, and how she handles the bumps in the road now vs before GR, I am so thankful we made the commitment.”