From Silence to Strength
Last year, Caroline found a list on her daughter’s phone. ‘Take pills and sleep forever,’ it began.
The panic she felt at that time still haunts her today.
Caroline’s stoic, resilient, 16-year-old daughter, an elite athlete taking advanced classes, had been anxious for some time. After splitting from a boyfriend, other stresses had piled up until she reached a breaking point.
But she’d been quiet and kept to herself. “I felt stranded, panicked,” recalls Caroline, whose name has been changed for privacy. “Who do I call? What should I do?”
Through parent networks, Caroline learned about Foundry Langley, the health and wellness centre that addresses the urgent needs of young people aged 12 to 24 and their families. From their first visit, she felt welcome, she said.
A New Confidence
While a counselor took her daughter for a private discussion, Caroline stepped back, watching as the professionals focused on her daughter’s needs.
“I saw a new confidence emerge in her,” Caroline recalls. “Foundry counselors showed her she had choices. With the freedom to make her own decisions about her mental health, she learned she was empowered.”
Foundry Langley’s Family Peer Support Worker, Heather Stale, says Caroline’s experience isn’t uncommon. She recognizes the feelings of frustration and helplessness in parents after they’ve navigated systems that left them feeling unheard or blamed.
“These caregivers often find themselves exhausted and at their wits’ end with what they are experiencing and not sure where to go for support.”
To address these challenges, the centre’s support programs, run by Encompass Support Services Society, provide family peer support, individual counseling, monthly caregiver socials, support groups for parents of 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and facilitation of difficult family conversations.
Between April 2024 and March of this year, Foundry Langley welcomed 176 caregivers, including parents, marking a nearly 30 per cent increase over the same time in 2023-24.
Safe, Non-Judgmental Support
Today, Caroline’s daughter is more engaged in life than she’s ever been, Caroline reports. She’s making plans for university, actively playing soccer and anticipating her future with confidence.
Clients have often told Heather Stale they feel a sense of relief after being able to connect with someone else who has similar lived experience and can relate to what they are going through.
“As parents, we’re always trying to find a balance and want our children to thrive,” says Caroline. “Making that first visit to Foundry Langley was just the beginning for my daughter, who’s growing into a stronger, more vibrant young woman.”