I believe therapeutic support is essential to anyone leaving or in care.

My name is Ikra. I’m 20 years old, and I’m currently doing my foundation year at university. In September, I will begin my undergraduate degree in Law and Arabic.  

It’s a pervasive pattern in foster kids that their opinions are dismissed. So, they use storytelling to explain their feelings to their social workers so that they understand their point. I used to habitually express my feelings through storytelling. I could say I’m feeling sad, but I wouldn’t feel it. I would waffle around my emotions instead of dealing with them. I knew I needed to change.

A year before I was introduced to Drive Forward, I used to have therapy sessions. But my counsellor left, and so I became ‘counsellor-less’. I searched for a new counsellor for quite a while, and I put myself on a waiting list for NHS services.

I was first introduced to Drive Forward through a work experience opportunity they hosted. After that, I met Shereen, who became my Careers Specialist. When I met her, she seemed so caring and interested, and she genuinely wanted to help me, which naturally made our relationship grow. After that, I started getting more involved in the opportunities at Drive Forward. I like that it’s a small charity because there’s more dedication and care there. There’s a willingness to meet your needs, and I value that. 

When I was introduced to Drive Forward, I still didn’t have a therapist. Shereen asked me if I wanted to receive 12 weeks of free counselling sessions from a trauma-informed therapist. Of course, I said yes and since then, I have been signed up for Richard Barnardo’s counselling service. 

“It has been an absolute pleasure to be a part of Drive Forward’s work. The organisation has enabled our young people to continue to benefit from attachment-orientated psychotherapy, which has been successfully delivered for the last 5 and half years. It continues to offer what our clients have asked for, namely specialised one-to-one in-person support. Although the service is a small, part-time operation, we’ve ensured that we continue to provide a flexible service that allows clients to access it alongside their employment commitments. We’ve helped over 100 young people and delivered over 1,700 hours of therapeutic support.” – Richard Barnardo, Barnardo Counselling

When I first met Richard, I went in with an open mind, and that’s important for something like therapy. I told him what I wanted to achieve, and we frequently refer back to this. Growing up, I thought that my feelings were pointless, and because of this, I’ve had a lot of problems with relationships and friendships. With Richard, I’ve been working on listening to myself, and it’s been tough because I am trying to change the way I have been thinking for the past 18 years. It’s a challenge, but we’ve made a lot of progress. Richard is also care-experienced, and this 100% helps. He gets it.

I initially used the 12 weeks of free sessions provided by Drive Forward. When that finished, I added another 12 weeks of discounted sessions, which Barnet Council and Drive Forward funded. I have now added on my third set of 12 weeks at a reduced price. I just knew that Richard was so good and that it was something worth paying for.  For the sessions, I prefer to have them in person as I feel I can express myself better in person. However, I like the flexibility of the sessions and I do them online some weeks if I have things going on. 

If I were to advise someone considering using Drive Forward’s counselling services, I would say to go in with an open mind. It’s a common occurrence amongst care leavers that at some point in their life they have received a non-trauma-informed, underfunded counselling service, which has limited resources and does not give them what is needed. Because of these bad experiences, some may be scared and anxious to go near therapy again. For me, going in with an open mind to Drive Forwards counselling services has been excellent, and I recommend trying it out. I will continue to use Drive Forward’s counselling service, and I know that Drive Forward will be there for me if I need additional support.