Hi there, this seemed the best place to ask for advice on a delicate topic. A friend of mine could really do with some assistance, and I'm not at all qualified to render it so I'm casting my net further abroad in the hope that some kind soul here might be able to help.
Briefly, and omitting finer points of detail, here's the predicament she finds herself in: she's a lady in her early thirties, who was partnered for over a decade to an (occasionally) violent man. This year he committed suicide, leaving her to care for their children, the oldest boy of whom is ten, and violently disruptive at school and in the home, having taken his dad's death very badly. Social services are, or were, involved when the father was alive, but with the advent of the school holidays, have backed off considerably at the very time when she is most needful of their support. She feels isolated, and though she is doing well at coping with the day-to-day care of her family, she's too tired to grieve or in any way process the father's death. She is frightened by her eldest son's temper, and he has struck out at her on a few occasions. Their relationship is deteriorating- she feels she has little control over her children, and is feeling very stressed and overwhelmed.
She's based in East Anglia, and I was wondering if someone might put me in touch with a kindly child psychologist or social care charity and/or professional who might be able to put forward some suggestions as to restore some measure of harmony to the household.
I'm happy to explain the situation at greater length to a professional, but I'm not going to do so on a public bulletin board lest I imperil my friend's right to anonymity, as I hope you can appreciate.
Thanks for reading,
regards, Nick