Lucy has become a very important member of our team at The Good Life Orphanage, she provides sessions for our children and our staff, here is her introduction to you all:

Lucy our counselor

Counseling is a helpful process for an individual who is struggling and feels stuck in one way or another; it has been helpful to our children too to get in touch with their feelings, thoughts and actions. Some children may have difficulties sharing their feelings because they want to keep them a “secret.” Other children can show their feelings in ways that cause problems by acting out, becoming aggressive, defiance or becoming very quiet and withdrawn.

Lucy with John & Omari

Most children homes in Kenya such as The GLO face challenges of children having experienced difficulties in their childhood, harsher environments that contribute to behavioural problems. The GLO has also experienced these challenges since the children here have come from different unstable backgrounds.

I am glad this home has a good supportive system which enables counseling to have a positive impact on children with negative issues. Others have resulted from past trauma, abandonment, neglect, rejection, causing inner wounds that needs healing through counseling for positive & healthier relationships in life.

Obama with Lucy

My first priority as a counselor is to empathize with the children, offer warm environment to explore their feelings, thoughts, be in their shoes with unconditional positive regard. I actively listen to the children who have gone through traumatic experiences, as a result many have very little confidence.

Lucy with the children

Children suffer from stress, depression, emotional, social problems, hurt, abuse, fear, anger, low self-esteem, self-harming, anxiety, slowness in learning, phobias and many other such symptoms of cognitive, behavioural and emotional problems.

I am happy seeing improvement, positivity, in some children’s behavior, trust, coping skills, problem solving, strategizing goals and embracing strengths. For others they still journey in the supportive environment created to allow an individual transform because change is a process, each individual being unique.

Shainuru with Lucy

Assertiveness, talk therapy, play therapy or art, positive re-enforcement and relaxation are vital to help a child who is struggling to develop healthier, happier lives. I conduct a one on one counseling for personal growth at individual level. We have also had group counseling with children belonging to same house and those of the same age group.

Time to talk

Different therapy techniques assist the children and it is very amazing to see our children rise from low self esteem into gaining confidence, managing anger, sociable, determination and desire for achieving dreams after a goal is met in making good choices.

Marianne received her present from Lucy

At The GLO our staff are also offered counselling sessions on a one-to-one basis as they may have experienced living in very harsh conditions whilst growing up, and they also have to learn how to deal with the day to day problems some of our children are trying to cope with as a result of their abusive lives before entering our gates.