From Struggles to Strengths
The Impact of Chaplaincy
A Chaplain's Journey with a Teenage Girl
"I met one teenage girl on my first day as a chaplain at my school. She was waiting to speak with the deputy following some poor decisions she had made. Over the next few months, I continued to interact with this girl in small ways. One lunchtime, I noticed her in tears alone, so I approached and had a conversation with her. She had made another poor choice and was feeling really guilty, hopeless, and negative about the future, believing she could never change, and things would never improve. I was able to share with her that there is hope and she can change. Together, we approached a deputy to confess her poor judgment and deal with the consequences.
From here, I noticed a real shift in her approach to life. I met with her several times to mentor her. One of the activities we did together was Strength cards. I asked her to identify three of her strengths from the card and then to represent this strength using biscuits, icing, and lollies (yum!). I also asked her to choose one area she would like to grow in, which we talked about. From this activity, she was able to see herself in a positive light after so long of viewing herself negatively. Since I met her, I have witnessed such change in her character and the way she handles social interactions. She seems to have developed more confidence and positive coping strategies."
