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Responding to someone the way you would want to be treated prioritises your lived experience and preferences. This response, while sympathetic, does not truly put yourself in the other person’s shoes. It is more important to stop and assess what is happening with the person and figure out what they need. Your response should center them.
Deneice, I really like your inclusion of observing and documenting Maya’s behaviour first. This is a very important step in analyzing any behaviour and allows those involved to have a proper understanding of what the issue at hand is without using vague or broad descriptions.
In assisting Maya, my first step would be to assure her that I am one of the adults in her social circle who is there to support her and who she can trust. Next, I will talk to Maya about what she is going through, try to normalise her situation and show understanding. I will explain to her that it is normal to feel overwhelmed and scared about CXC examinations because the results have the potential to affect her life choices, and at this stage I understand she may be very anxious about figuring out her future. My aim is to avoid making Maya feel that something is wrong with her because of how she is reacting. Based on what I learnt in Unit One, I know that poor mental health does not mean someone has a mental illness; hence, I do not want to pathologise Maya’s situation.
