A Mother & Daughter’s Full-Circle Journey

When Jennifer first walked through the doors of the Bert Nash Center (BNC) as a teenager, she could not have imagined that two decades later she would return with her own daughter by her side.  

Back then, Jennifer was the one learning how to manage hard emotions, build boundaries, and find steadier ground. Today, her daughter Olivia is making progress on her own mental health journey with the support of the BNC team. 

Reflecting on the connection between her past and Olivia’s present, Jennifer says with a smile, “I’ve almost come full circle at Bert Nash.” 

As a teen, Jennifer was carrying a lot at once: truancy, anger management, low self-esteem, and unhealthy boundaries in a relationship. Staff at the alternative high school she attended on and off saw that she needed more support and encouraged her father to reach out to BNC. From the beginning, Jennifer’s journey with BNC was overwhelmingly positive. 

Years later, Jennifer found herself navigating another difficult season, this time as a mother. She, and then 4-year-old Olivia, weathered the end of a marriage and a period of housing instability before the Covid-19 pandemic, which added even more uncertainty. 

Since that time, Olivia began receiving layers of support from BNC, including a WRAP (Wellness Resources Access & Prevention) therapist at school, a case manager outside of school, and the BNC summer psychosocial therapy group. Alongside the hard work, there were bright moments too. Jennifer said that they both have fond memories of Cupcake Wars with the summer group. 

When Olivia’s WRAP therapist suggested Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Jennifer saw it as a chance for the two of them to learn the same tools together. 

 “Mental health is a family journey. What’s the point of her learning all these things if I’m not aware?” Jennifer reflected.  

For about six months, Jennifer and Oliva sat alongside other teens, parents, and caregivers, completed homework, practiced new skills and learned valuable concepts. One of those important lessons was that two opposing things can both be true at the same time: a parent can deeply love their teen & still feel frustrated by their behavior. 

The DBT therapists also helped parents identify ways to respond with care when their teens open up.  Sometimes that might mean listening and allowing them to be sad in the moment, without rushing to fix it. 

Jennifer especially appreciated how DBT teaches skills needed to shift from black and white thinking toward the more complicated shades of gray. She also valued learning radical acceptance; completely and totally accepting reality as it is in the present moment, without fighting, judging, or resisting it. 

At one point Jennifer told Olivia, “I want to remind you, because I don’t think anyone reminded me back then, that all your feelings are super normal. We just have to help you get through them.” 

Together, they built coping skills to stay positive even when life felt heavy, including during difficult moments like the death of grandparent. Sometimes support looked like watching their favorite TV shows, enjoying a small treat, or simply slowing down long enough to take care of themselves. These can all help when things feel overwhelming. 

For Olivia, it mattered, and still does today, to realize she is not alone. In the summer group she met other kids from other schools, who were going through similar experiences & feelings. Bullying and self-harm were, unfortunately, shared experiences for the kids and common topics of discussion. 

Jennifer describes Olivia as a chatty kid which made the BNC program that involved plenty of talking a natural fit. And she has really loved the psychosocial group with the range of ages. When Olivia was in fifth grade, she bonded with a first grader and found joy in the chance to be a role model for someone younger. 

Olivia also built a strong relationship with her first case manager, who helped her practice skills out in the community. Jennifer loved witnessing how comfortable Olivia felt opening up to her and was grateful she had another safe adult she could trust. 

One of the most meaningful parts of returning to BNC has been seeing familiar faces still serving children and families all these years later. When Jennifer sees long-time team members in the hallways she feels a sense of trust and gratitude. 

For Jennifer, that continuity matters. It is proof that care can echo across generations, meeting a teenager when she needs support and, years later, meeting her daughter with the same steady presence.  As Jennifer reflected with gratitude, “Bert Nash is here no matter what.”