Recently signposted to the service by her GP and the Community Mental Health Team, she had just been denied Universal Credit and was in the middle of an appeal process. The financial strain was overwhelming, and Janice confided that she had experienced suicidal thoughts that very weekend.
Living with worsening chronic arthritis, Janice was no longer able to work – something that cut deeply against her values. “I’ve always worked for everything,” she said. “Not working is embarrassing. I should be able to cope.”
In that first session, we spent time simply listening. Janice opened up about her grief and loss over family members, and how those feelings were feeding into her depression. As the weeks went on, her anxiety around money and her declining health began to rise. She feared for her future and felt powerless to change it.
Together, we began gently introducing tools to help her feel more grounded. One simple but powerful shift came from recognising her habits: “When I get anxious, I light a cigarette,” she admitted. We used that familiar act as a cue – an opportunity to pause, move her body gently, and use breathing to come back to the present.
We also introduced the idea of her “life jacket” – the things that kept her afloat when things felt too much. For Janice, this included seeing a close friend, or if her pain allowed, pottering around in her garden. “Just being with the plants helps,” she smiled.
Recognising the need for more practical support, we teamed up with a social prescriber. Together, we created a wraparound approach, alternating sessions every two weeks. We contacted Diverse Abilities for guidance and helped Janice prepare a written statement for the court to explain the emotional toll of the appeal process. When her face-to-face hearing was confirmed, the social prescriber attended alongside her for support.
The impact of this collaboration was clear. Janice described feeling more emotionally stable and, crucially, more empowered. She was able to articulate her situation confidently during the hearing – something she said would have been unthinkable just weeks before.
In July 2024, Janice’s appeal was successful. She came to her next appointment looking visibly lighter. She’d met a new partner and described feeling “in a totally different place emotionally.”
Her progress was reflected in her outcome scores too.
Reflecting on her journey, Janice said:
“I wouldn’t have managed to attend the court without Tracy. Her and Helen’s continued support has been what’s kept me going. I’d absolutely recommend going to the Hub – such lovely, kind and helpful staff. I just wish I’d known about it sooner.”