by a Court Chaplain
I wondered why there was so much anger in this young nineteen year old lad when I first met him at the Court. I would later learn that he came from a home where his father was an alcoholic and did not show any affection towards this boy. The lad was already on the way to developing his own personal relationship with alcohol and regularly smoked pot.
As a result of this volatile combination, the family had taken an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) against him and by breaking the order he was referred to the Chaplains at the Court. The first appointment was hopeless as he chose not to turn up, instead choosing to get on the drink.
It only took a couple of weeks to get him to open up, so that we could get to work on the real issues. As we worked through each session, we were able to identify his anger style and the triggers that set his anger off. During the course of this Program, his girlfriend delivered a baby and at this point of time she would not allow him to touch the child. We have been able to spend time working through his feelings. On this occasion his anger was not an issue, as he was preferring to go through the correct channels rather than reacting, as he once would have. Andrew chose to take our advise and attend a drug and alcohol program he also made an appointment to see a treating psychologist in an effort to continue to move forward with his life positively..
Andrew has cut down on his alcohol consumption and has been able to build some bridges with his father. It has been amazing to see the change that has taken place in this young man in such a short time. His commitment to the Positive Living Skills Program and the subsequent changes in his life has been nothing short of a miracle.
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