These are young people Synapse has worked with, aged 12 to 21. Each story is shared with permission from the young person and their family. Names are not used, and some details have been changed to protect their privacy.
Every young person is different. These stories describe individual experiences, not typical results.
A 12-year-old was finding it hard to settle at secondary school. He would lose his temper with classmates and teachers, and things were tense at home after a change in the family.
Over eight sessions, he and his Coach looked at what set his anger off and why the body reacts before the thinking part of the brain catches up. He practised short breathing and mindfulness exercises, built small daily habits, and planned calmer conversations at home, saying how he felt rather than blaming. He also found interests he could share with his family.
By the end he was walking away from situations that would once have escalated, and he rated home life 9 out of 10, up from 3.
“I can really see the improvements in his behaviours and positive outlook.” Parent
After a long period of bullying, a 14-year-old had lost confidence and spent hours worrying about what others thought of him. How he felt about himself depended on how popular he felt.
His coaching ran alongside counselling. With his Coach he practised sitting with uncomfortable thoughts instead of going over them, tried small social “experiments” each week and worked on speaking up for himself. His parents had some sessions too, to help communication at home.
His mother said his confidence in friendships had grown, and that he no longer seemed bothered about being popular.
“It has helped me grow so much. I’m starting to express myself more which before I couldn’t even fathom doing.” Young person, 14
A 15-year-old was anxious about her GCSEs and getting into the sixth form she wanted. She was arguing often at home and felt overwhelmed by news about climate change. She had tried therapy before and wanted something more practical.
With her Coach she worked out what mattered most to her and used that to guide decisions. They separated what she could control from what she couldn’t, practised calming techniques before stressful moments, rehearsed different ways of handling arguments at home and built a revision plan that balanced work and rest.
She got her place at the sixth form she wanted, felt better prepared for her exams, and things at home improved.
“I really enjoyed it. I found it really helpful to help process the information. I feel like I’ve gained a lot of clarity.” Young person, 15
A 17-year-old came to Synapse after her friendship group broke down and she moved school during sixth form. She was overthinking, anxious about approaching new people and worried about saying the wrong thing, while appearing to cope at school.
Over nine sessions, she and her Coach agreed one manageable social step each week, such as inviting a classmate to join her or going to an event where she knew few people, and reviewed how it went the following week. They worked on noticing assumptions about what others thought of her, and later on perfectionism and exam pressure.
By the end she was starting friendships rather than avoiding them. Her parents said she was “back to her old self”.
“I always felt supported by the coach and it helped knowing she could relate to some of the things I was struggling with.” Young person, 17
A 17-year-old with ADHD knew what he needed to do for his A levels but could not make himself start. Gaming filled the gap, and he described himself as “lazy” and someone who “always gets things wrong”. Most of the push to revise came from his mother and his teachers.
His Coach helped him work out what he wanted for himself rather than for others. Each morning he wrote his priorities on a whiteboard and went through them with his mother, with a plan for what to do if things slipped. He practised a short routine for noticing when revision had turned into gaming, stopping, and switching to something else he enjoyed. His mother moved from reminding him to asking him questions.
By the end he no longer felt controlled by the urge to game, kept more consistent routines and had stopped calling himself lazy.
After leaving college, a 20-year-old had lost her structure and her confidence. She felt anxious, kept putting things off and was unsure how to pursue the creative career she wanted.
Over eight sessions she and her Coach turned her long-term ambitions into weekly steps: updating her CV, contacting people in her industry and applying for opportunities. They built routines around work, rest and creativity, and replaced habits that were holding her back with ones that helped, such as exercise and journaling.
She began getting interviews and work in her chosen field, and said she was no longer “scared of tomorrow”.
“The difference in her demeanour, her outlook and her self-confidence before and since is like night and day.” Parent
Two years after leaving school, a 21-year-old had no routine and no clear direction. He wondered whether he had made the wrong choice by not going to university, and living somewhere remote made it hard to build a social life.
Over 12 sessions he and his Coach worked on a daily routine, on a long-standing habit of blaming himself, and on handling disagreements at home more calmly. Between sessions he took small practical steps and reported back on how they went.
He found paid work, began setting up a small business of his own and got on better with his family.
“I’ve had a really positive experience working through tangible goals and building communication techniques with my family and peers.” Young person, 21
A relatable Coach builds the relationship.
The relationship creates engagement.
Engagement makes implementation possible.
Implementation creates change that lasts.
Every programme begins with a clinical assessment. Synapse considers suitability and what support is needed, and builds a personalised care plan. See our programmes and what happens next.
If something here sounds familiar, talk to Mollie Royds, our Head of Client Experience and Care Management. The first conversation is at no charge, with no commitment. Mollie replies within one working day, and there is no waiting list.
