"My teenager's access to services"

I have written previously about the difficulties I had accessing CBT through Bromley Talk Together. My daughter was on their waiting list for a long time and I was upset after contacting them because it looked as though she would not be able to receive help as she was due to start at University in September 2018. At this time, the only advice I was given was that when she moved she would have to register with a new GP and start the whole process again. Feeling incredibly worried about what would happen to my daughter, away from home and with social anxiety, I looked online for help. I stumbled upon this website and wrote my daughter's story, it was a way to offload my feelings of helplessness - that I couldn't help my daughter.

Soon after I was contacted by someone from Bromley Talk Together. The lady was very supportive and listened to my concerns about what might be available to my daughter. She said that she couldn't promise that my daughter would be seen before going to university, but that it might be a possibility. She also gave me advice about what to do if it wasn't possible, which was extremely useful. Knowing that she might not be seen, but having someone listen to me and give useful advice made me feel so much better.

I was contacted again a week later with the fantastic news that she could be seen by a therapist. My daughter attended the sessions, I cannot talk about what happened in them, but I know that they did help her. 

She went off to University in September 2018 and so far, things are going well. I was amazed that she attended many Freshers Week events with her new flat mates and she has made new friendships with people on her course. She still doesn't go out a lot, but has joined two societies, attends events and does go out to visit friends etc... this is more than she ever did at home. Her flat mates are lovely and she is enjoying her course. She also joined a student mentoring scheme, which has been really helpful, when she's had problems and queries. I am not sure if this is something she would have done, if she hadn't had CBT sessions. I know that she still has problems, she finds it difficult to talk to people to she doesn't know, eg, booking appointments and I imagine that she would still find it very difficult to "open up to people," but I think she has done fantastically well so far and I am sure it is in part due to the support she had through Bromley Talk Together.