Yvonne was previously involved in campaigning for better access to records. She heard about Future Pathways during a meeting with an MSP. Yvonne knew some people who had contacted Future Pathways, but she did not know what to expect from the service.
“It was quite daunting to call, especially if, like me, you are not comfortable talking to strangers.”
Yvonne started working with her Support Coordinator Adam. She was nervous about working with a male, but Adam was easy to talk to and put her at ease by listening attentively.
“I don’t trust easily but I was able to build trust with Adam. It made a massive difference to have someone to talk to who was listening to me and supporting me, and who knew what I have been through. You don’t necessarily talk about it all, but they know and that helps.”
When Yvonne registered, she felt her life lacked direction. Yvonne had conversations with Adam about what mattered to her and where she found purpose before. In the past, Yvonne did charity work in her local community. Yvonne reflected that she had found volunteering rewarding. These conversations helped Yvonne gain perspective on what she wanted her next steps to be.
“It is important to me to give back and turn my negative experiences into something positive for others.”
Yvonne explored some volunteering options and Adam encouraged her to “think big.” Hearing Adam’s faith in her helped Yvonne feel capable and confident.
“I didn’t believe in myself. I thought, am I confident enough to do that? I did doubt myself. But I thought, well Adam believes in me. It helped me believe in myself.”
She saw an advert for victim support volunteering. She felt she would enjoy working with different people in different circumstances, and that there would be a lot to learn. Yvonne applied and interviewed for the position, which was an intimidating experience.
Now Yvonne is training for the role which involves supporting people who are going through the justice system. Yvonne is excited about the opportunities this will open up for her.
“I am excited about the journey. Now I feel I have a purpose. Look at where I came from and where I am now. I wasn’t confident. I didn’t believe in myself. I didn’t know what to do a year ago. Now I have taken this huge step of becoming a Victim Support Worker to help others.”
Future Pathways also helped in other ways. With Future Pathways support, Yvonne has been attending pottery classes. This is a creative outlet for Yvonne and an opportunity to spend quality time with her daughter. Yvonne was also referred to the Anchor, Glasgow Psychological Trauma Support Service, and this helped her to understand herself better. She continues to work on focusing on the here and now with Future Pathways’ support.
“I have gained a sense of completion from working with Future Pathways. I feel like I know myself now. I felt so lost and now I don’t. I don’t feel like a victim anymore. Support from Adam has kept me focused on the present and my future. It has transformed my mindset and my life. Friends and family notice a big difference in me as well. My daughter told me she is proud of me. They say I am a different Mum now – they see a strong, confident woman. Working with Future Pathways has brought me and my children closer together.”
See How We Help to find out more about how Future Pathways can help you.
Future Pathways supported Rita to access counselling around two years ago following a diagnoses of complex post-traumatic stress disorder. This work included supporting Rita to develop coping strategies for her severe anxiety.
Before working with the psychologist, Rita found it difficult to complete everyday tasks like going to busy public places. She felt permanently on high alert and found it difficult when people approached her or came into her personal space.
Rita developed a positive working relationship with her counselling psychologist who took the time to work on creating a dynamic where Rita felt safe and secure.
Rita’s Support Coordinator felt that a crucial contributor to the success of this working relationship was taking the process at Rita’s pace, adapting to Rita’s evolving needs, and taking the time to develop a safe foundation from which Rita could start working through her trauma and begin to build coping strategies.
Recently, Rita completed a review of her support with her Support Coordinator who shared that the work with the psychologist “has been absolutely life changing for her, just incredible.”
In the review, Rita shared that she now feels much more able to go out into public spaces and do things that previously triggered her anxiety. Other people in Rita’s life have also noticed a positive difference in her. Recently she went to a restaurant and was able to enjoy her meal despite others sitting near her and recently she went to a supermarket and suddenly realised she wasn’t feeling panicked.
Rita was able to have a conversation with someone she had never met before in a public space without her anxiety becoming overwhelming.
Although Rita’s anxiety does still affect her, she feels proud of herself for taking these strides. By engaging with therapy, Rita has learned tools to support her to manage her anxiety, and now feels ready to work on her trauma with her psychologist while continuing to apply these tools to her everyday life.
See How We Help to find out more about how Future Pathways can help you.
Marie* heard about Future Pathways after participating in the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. Marie works full time and cares for a family member, so she felt spread thin when she first reached out to Future Pathways.
When she met her Support Coordinator, Marie shared that she felt like she didn’t have a lot of time to herself. She felt that she often prioritised other people’s needs, and this had affected her confidence. Marie’s Support Coordinator helped her to consider what her interests were, and she shared that she had always been interested in gardening. Marie had worked in a garden several years previously and was interested in picking up these skills again.
With her Support Coordinator’s support, Marie started looking into volunteering opportunities in her local area and found a local community garden.
With her Support Coordinator’s encouragement, Marie started volunteering there once a week. This gave her some dedicated time in the week for herself and made her feel more confident and valued, while also allowing her to gain more skills in gardening and feel more engaged with her local community
Sadly, shortly after starting to work with Future Pathways, a close family member died. While grieving this loss, Marie and her family were also struggling to pay the costs of the funeral, which caused worry and strain during an already difficult time. This was made more difficult because they had lived far away.
Marie shared this challenge with her Support Coordinator and was surprised to hear that Future Pathways could help pay for travel and accommodation costs for her to attend the funeral.
Her Support Coordinator also helped Marie contact the local authority to explore options for funeral cost support which reduced financial pressure considerably. This enabled Marie and her family to grieve their loss without worrying about getting into debt.
After returning from the funeral, Marie started struggling with her mental health as thoughts and memories from her past in care resurfaced. She decided to talk to Future Pathways about accessing counselling. Marie shared with her Support Coordinator how important it was to be able to relate with her counsellor so that she could feel comfortable talking about her trauma. Her Support Coordinator researched some options.
Marie attended the first session knowing that if she didn’t feel a connection with the counsellor, other options were available.
Marie chose a counsellor who she felt comfortable with and over time they developed a relationship which allowed Marie to explore how her trauma impacts her in the present. Future Pathways also provided funds for materials for a creative project which Marie did alongside counselling to express her life story. Marie feels this support has allowed her to develop a different, more rounded perspective on what she needs going forward. She no longer feels she is facing life’s challenges alone.