Youth Counselling

I want my friend back!

I am a student of Std 8. I have a friend who has a crush on my brother’s friend. She wanted to know everything about him and was forcing me to steal his phone number from my brother’s mobile. When I refused to do this, she stopped talking to me. I am confused about what I should do. I want my friend back!
Khushi

Dear Khushi,

I admire your strong sense of values and your firmness at refusing to steal a phone number from your brother’s mobile! On the other hand, I do see that you are very hurt that your friend stopped talking to you. That must feel awful.

Do the simplest thing. Wait a tiny bit for tempers to cool and ask to meet her — either directly, or through a trusted person. If she agrees, then have a frank talk. Acknowledge to her and empathize that you feel for her and do realise that she may have been quite desperate to talk to this boy, however, for you it did not feel right to ‘steal’ even a phone number. If she understands and accepts why you acted the way you did, and chooses to come back to the friendship, then great, otherwise sadly, you will need to accept that this friendship is at an end.

Nasreen Hashambhoy is a Counsellor, Life Coach and a Facilitator of training programmes for schools and corporates. Through a combination of coaching, counselling and facilitation techniques based on cognitive science and positive psychology, she helps clients achieve their true potential. She is the author of the series Values In Action published by Better Yourself Books.

Nasreen Hashambhoy

Nasreen Hashambhoy is a Counsellor, Life Coach and a Facilitator of training programmes for schools and corporates. Through a combination of coaching, counselling and facilitation techniques based on cognitive science and positive psychology, she helps clients achieve their true potential. She is the author of the series Values In Action published by Better Yourself Books.