Testimonials
Stories of Struggles and Success
What Parents Say
- A mom reflects
- Treating the family
- A dad's perspective
- Feeling welcome
- Family Therapy Comments
- Group Therapy Comments
What Professionals Say
Side By Side Success
Stories of Struggles and Success
Therapy is not so bad
Angela is a sophomore in a special needs program which she has been attending 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."
A motivated family
Jeannette was the only child of Bessie, a single mother who was determined to make life better for herself and her daughter. Bessie had a part-time job in a hospital and was taking one college-level course at a time, hoping for a career in the helping profession.
Jeannette was placed in a special education class when she entered school at the age of four. She was impulsive, she disrupted her class with screaming and loud demands for attention, and she was dangerous to herself and others. School-based therapy with Wediko was recommended, and Jeannette enjoyed the individual attention during the therapy time. She made some progress with controlling her demands for attention and using words to ask for help.
The teacher had several suggestions for Bessie: get Jeannette a medication evaluation, participate in family therapy, and join a Wediko-run parent support group. Bessie was motivated, and she followed through on the suggestions. Jeannette was prescribed medication for her attention-deficit disorder, and, as a result of her calmer interactions with people, she began to experience social and academic success in school. Bessie attended the parent support group and found relief and help from the other parents who were "in the same boat." When the group ended, she agreed to Wediko family therapy, and she and Jeannette worked to establish routines at home that worked better for them.
Eventually Bessie gained confidence in her ability to create a safe and loving experience for herself and her daughter. Several years, later, she proudly forwarded her senior college thesis to her Wediko "team."
What Parents Say
A mom reflects
"Before Wediko, my son was aggressive and violent. He is a completely different person now--a 180 degree turn around. Wediko has been a big part of this change. They stood behind him."
Treating the family
"I like the way Wediko treats the whole family, not just the child. They give the family techniques and tools to use with the child's behavior at home. I also like being able to have family therapy and work with Wediko's psychiatrist."
A dad's perspective
"I like the way Wediko clinicians address behavior right then and there, instead of waiting until later."
Feeling welcome
“What I love about Wediko is that people make you feel so welcome, like
you’re part of the team rather than being ‘worked on.’ I wish Wediko
was
involved with every school.”
-Helen, Wediko Client
Family Therapy Comments
- Family therapy provides the opportunity to come together and discuss ways and ideas on how to help the child and family.
Dotti, Parent of a High School Student
- I was a little on guard when we first started, but it turned out to be a great learning and growing experience.
- Sometimes I really think it saved my relationship with my son. We were in a great deal of conflict and were at total impasse. Having that third person there to help me make sense of what was going on really helped to clear the air. Our therapist basically interpreted us to each other.
- We are learning to speak to each other and listen to each other. Rather than stomp off in frustrated, angry despair, we’re learning ways to describe and share our feelings and the follow the subject until there is resolution, not sulking.
- In family therapy I learned strategies for dealing with my daughter’s issues, rather than going in the wrong directions, thinking it was all just a behavior or an attitude problem. It changed the way I looked and dealt with my daughter and helped me to understand what she needed.
- As one parent to another, family therapy provides the opportunity to come together and discuss ways and ideas on how to help the child and family. Being involved does not mean you are a bad parent, on the contrary, it shows that you love and care about your child and that you are willing to go the extra step to ensure they get the services they need.
- …….(In family therapy we learned) That we can overcome some pretty tough emotional issues by learning how to verbalize, listen, respect, the privacy, intelligence, and boundaries of other
- Wediko has provided emotional, spiritual, physical (!) support for all of us. We’ve grown to know and love each other in whole new ways. “Darron” is accomplishing so much and we feel we can handle whatever comes our way.
Group Therapy Comments
- In group therapy you can meet other parents dealing with the same issues you are. You have the opportunity to talk, discuss, share information, and, a lot of times, vent what is on your mind.
- In family and group therapy, you can discuss what your concerns are in an environment where you don’t have to feel like you are being judged as a parent.
- I’d think I’d go insane if I didn’t see those women once a month. It’s so easy to talk to the other mothers about our children-they really get it. I never feel like I’m talking too much. We talk about whatever needs to be dealt with. People are so respectful of each other and the struggle to raise these kids.
- It’s wonderful to share the craziness of the past month and it’s a good feeling to be listened to. We’re really good listeners at that meeting. We often give suggestions to each other. It’s cathartic and I look forward to it every month.
- I feel like in the group you can say everything and people including the therapist, are really listening. They are so sympathetic to what you are going through. The group is so open to each other you just feel accepted and understood.
What Professionals Say
Wediko's consultants
“Wediko has delivered a range of high quality expertise during our partnership. Wediko’s consultants are flexible, and they tailor their suggestions to fit our schools, teams, or students.“
-Dave Beauchamp,
Ass’t. Superintendent, Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District
Wediko delivers
“Wediko staff are good listeners, excellent collaborators, and efficient organizers; they are caring, trustworthy, and highly competent professionals. They are here with us. They know our children, our community, and our teachers. Wediko responds quickly as new needs become apparent…and they deliver what they promise.”
-Barney Brawer,
Principal, Perkins Elementary
Thoughts from a Special Education administrator
My name is Joseph M. Brown, and I am the Program Director for two of the McKinley Schools in Boston--the Middle School in the Fenway area and the Preparatory High School. The schools are substantially separate schools for students with significant academic, social, and emotional challenges.
My professional pathway took me from teaching to administration by way of a few years in business management. My resume describes my current work as to "oversee and supervise interdisciplinary teams in the implementation of educational policies and procedures in a special educational setting." That description doesn't even begin to describe what I do every day. I now describe my schools as therapeutic milieus. I describe myself as the "head learner."
I have been learning a lot about the processes of learning and teaching, which had been my expectation when I became an educator. I have also learned about "processing" interactions among staff and students, implementing positive behavior supports, developing diagnostic formulations, creating trauma-sensitive schools, encouraging self-reflection, and helping students articulate their personal goals, among other topics. Since my first week at McKinley, I have had a Wediko clinical consultant (or two or three) who have met with me weekly. Wediko consultants have encouraged me to listen carefully, ask questions, provide support, and have difficult conversations. When I feel stuck with a student or a teacher, I can ask for ideas from the Wediko consultant. I now talk to my faculty as much about developing meaningful relationships with students as I do about the teaching of subject matter.
I believe that students will do the right thing if they can and that showing that you really care about students will make all the difference in the world.
My professional journey continues, and I look forward to taking that journey in the company of Wediko consultants.
Side By Side Success
Side by Side social skills groups emphasize creating atmospheres conducive to learning. Side by Side supports the goals of schools by articulating and tracking the following desired outcomes:
- Positive school culture
- Expanded group facilitation and behavior response skills for teachers
- Students’ development and use of positive coping strategies
Research shows that Side by Side works. Download Side by Side: Evaluation and Outcomes to learn more
