Meet Other Wediko Students
Stories of Struggles and Success
Therapy is not so bad
Angela is a sophomore in a special needs program which she has been a student for several years. She was moved to the school because she was failing most of her classes at her previous high school, and she had been suspended several times for getting in fights with peers. Angela worries a lot about her family--they don't have enough money to pay the bills, and her father gets angry at the drop of a hat. Her worries make it hard for her to concentrate at school. When her guidance counselor told her she had to meet with a therapist, she was furious. "I'm not crazy!" "I don't want someone to ask about my personal business!"
She finally agreed to the meetings just to get her staff to stop bugging her about the therapy. Much to her surprise, the meetings were pleasant, and she was not asked to tell her "business." She enjoyed the attention, and once in awhile she actually liked the way the therapist asked her to think about what she could do to achieve her goals. Once, when she was arguing with her boyfriend, the therapist helped her to make a plan to go back and talk to him again. Another time, the therapist helped her to write her resume and to practice for job interviews. One thing Angela says that she learned is to give people a chance to explain themselves, instead of just assuming the worst.
I never thought I would graduate
"I used to be angry all of time. In elementary school I punched a teacher. I started at a smaller school for kids with 'behavioral issues.' I still got angry and had fights and even had to go to court. I have come a very long way thanks to my school and the people I've worked with at Wediko." I'm in high school now and only have a year left. I am actually going to graduate!"
When asked more specifically how he came so far, Octavius said that his therapists from Wediko and the school staff never gave up on him. He shared stories of his interest in music and sports and how the adults helped him to become involved. "One of my therapists helped me sign up for a sports team, and even though I didn't follow through, she tried again when I wanted to join an after-school program. It took a long time, but I eventually got into a music club and have actually succeeded."
Octavius also talked about his therapist helping him to understand his anger and find ways to deal with it. Octavius said he learned that if he had strong feelings, he could ask for help instead of "blowing-up" to get attention.
Octavius acknowledged that it took time to trust and talk to his therapist. "The biggest thing I learned is that I can make changes and I don't have to be perfect." Octavius met with one therapist during his middle school years and now meets with a different therapist at his high school. He said it wasn't too hard to work with a new person because there were some meetings together with the old therapist to talk about how to continue to work on things that were important to him. When asked to describe therapy, Octavius said, "It's cool."
