Counseling Gives Hope for Brighter Futures
Unity 4 Orphans’ heart for the children we serve calls us to help meet needs for not only their physical health and education, but also their emotional and mental health. With the support of our gracious donors, we have hired psychologists to work with the children in Miramar and Tijuana.
Many of the kids have experienced abandonment, trauma, and insecurity on a broad spectrum that extends well beyond their physical nourishment and living situations.
Unity 4 Orphans’ heart for the children we serve in Mexico and Nicaragua calls us to help meet needs for not only their physical health and education, but also their emotional and mental health. Many of the kids have experienced abandonment, trauma, and insecurity on a broad spectrum that extends well beyond their physical nourishment and living situations.
In a statistic given by the World Health Organization, it was said that “Mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, developmental disabilities, and behavioral disorders, are major causes of illness and disability among young people today. Worldwide, 10% of adolescents experience a mental disorder, and half of all mental health conditions begin by 14 years of age” (W.H.O., 2020).
This statistic is one of many that proves the importance of our mission to help heal, support, and love underserved youth. Our teachers and staff working closely with the kids have seen firsthand examples of students who excel in their studies, only to be inhibited by behavioral issues. Whether they have been completely abandoned by family, or struggle with difficulties within their family structure, this can have long-lasting consequences on their emotional development and follow them into adulthood, diminishing their opportunities for well-paying jobs and fulfilling relationships.
Trauma during childhood restricts the ability to develop cognitive skills and emotional connections, and when a child feels unsafe or threatened, they function merely from a place of survival.
Trauma during childhood restricts the ability to develop cognitive skills and emotional connections, and when a child feels unsafe or threatened, they function merely from a place of survival. Knowing this, we realize that no amount of education alone can overcome the effects of abuse and neglect that many of these children have had to undergo and witness, many from a very young age. This is why we have made it our mission to include emotional health as a vital aspect of their care.
With the support of our gracious donors, we have hired psychologists to work with the children in Miramar, and seeing the positive results almost immediately, extended the same opportunity to those living at our orphanages in Tijuana. The caring, dedicated staff has begun sharing stories of hope and restoration amongst the children. The difference between surviving and thriving has never been made clearer to us here at U4O!
Thanks to these programs, the kids are also learning how to build and identify healthy coping skills and methods of managing anxiety, fear, and stress. As a result of feeling less isolated and misunderstood, they are able to focus on their studies and build healthy relationships with their peers and authority figures. Their futures are looking brighter, from grade school, to college and beyond! When you give to U4O, your donation helps provide therapy and emotional support to children in Latin America who need it most.