Success Stories
“Elizabeth,” age 17, was adopted when she was four and lives at home with her adoptive parents and 4 siblings. She was referred to treatment by grandmother who was concerned about her behavior. When she started treatment she was very depressed, crying all the time and refusing to leave the home or get involved with her peers. On the few occasions when she did go out, she made poor choices, such as skipping school.
Elizabeth was the first teenager in her home. Her parents had difficulty understanding typical adolescent behaviors and learning to achieve an appropriate balance in parenting a teen. They also had two special needs children to care for who demanded significant amounts of time and attention. In treatment, involving both individual and family therapy, Elizabeth was able to work on family of origin issues and on choices she needed to make for her life. She was in some academic trouble at school and, through treatment, decided to attend summer school to be able to complete coursework so she could graduate on time. Her parents were able to better understand adolescent behavior and the things they needed to do to help Elizabeth make a smoother transition to young adulthood.
After nine months in treatment, Elizabeth's behavior dramatically improved. She developed positive peer relationships, improved her academic performance and even got a part-time job. She is no longer depressed and sees a positive future for herself that includes college.
