Haven - a place of safety and refuge

Imagine a group of twelve anxious, non-communicative Year 9 students gathered in an awkwardly shaped room, tucked away in the hidden parts of Loreto. Well, that was what Manjit, Jane and I faced back in March this year as we began Haven with them.

And now picture those same students in May, feeling a little less anxious, better equipped to handle their emotions and certainly much more willing to chat and even laugh together with us.

The transformation over the past few weeks as we have led this lovely group of girls through Haven, our course designed to help those with problematic anxiety, has been beautiful to see.  Each week, as they have learned new tools, such as box breathing, catching their thoughts, thinking traps, circles of influence and circles of control, and positive journaling, has allowed them to take positive steps towards managing their thoughts and well-being.

It has been a delight spending time with them, and building positive relationships with them. Two girls in particular have expressed how much they have valued their time with us, and how much they will miss it when the course finishes. We are hopeful that we will be able to run another Haven in the next academic year, so that more girls can learn about things to help them manage their anxiety.

The word ‘haven” simply means a place of safety or refuge, and that is exactly what we have provided for these girls: a safe place to escape for an hour and our hope and prayer is that the tools they have learnt will be useful to them for many years to come.

Amy