Recently, one of our cottage therapists gave an assignment to Stacey, a young girl in her care. She asked Stacey to draw a picture of her “safe space.” This had the potential to be a very difficult assignment, as Stacey had endured a significant amount of adversity and relational turbulence in her life.
However, after a year of Intermountain’s intensive residential care focusing on building healthier relationships, Stacey’s therapist felt she was ready to engage the assignment with hope rather than fear. Stacey’s “safe space” was defined to her as anywhere she felt protected, calm, and happy.
Stacey returned to her next session with her therapist, having drawn a picture of her residential cottage and included a note with her drawing which said, “Home is starting to be a safe space for me.”
Stacey’s challenge, in the time she remains in Intermountain’s care, is to transfer the skills she has learned in her cottage to her home. For now, her “safe space” is in the care of the amazing and dedicated cottage staff at Intermountain, and this care and safety has cultivated hope within her young heart. A hope she can return home and feel safe there, as well.
Intermountain’s transformative approach of meeting a child where they are—developmentally and relationally—through sound clinical work and consistent, empathetic responses to difficult behaviors shows children and their families Hope & Healing are possible. Many like Stacey have found their “safe space” because of Intermountain. Thank you for supporting this life-changing mission.
Click HERE for a bulletin insert that shares Stacey’s story
Click here to subscribe to our RSS feed with your favorite email client and be alerted to new articles.