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Stories of Encouragement and Hope

Amanda's Story

As far back as I can remember, I hated my family and myself. I was a sad kid and even sadder teenager. I fought with my parents, my teachers, my brother and friends. Speaking of friends, I lost most of them. The good friends that I had, left me. My remaining friends became my surrogate family. I spent most of my spare time breaking curfews, cutting classes and getting high. When did this all come crashing down? When I got arrested at 17 years old for shoplifting at a local supermarket. I knew something had to change. I was also very resistant to get help. I thought that only "weak" people got therapy. This is when my parents got me into treatment at East End Psychological Services.

I saw Dr. Lubliner and this experience changed my life. I learned why I was so out of control. I learned about my anger, resentment and frustration that followed me for many years. I discovered how these feelings were related to thinking so negatively. As a result, I acted out with these dangerous and risky behaviors. Dr. Lubliner helped me to believe in myself, like no one else ever had. I learned to feel confident, think differently and have relationships again. I survived! The relationship with my parents and friends improved as I became less depressed. The experience was amazing. I am grateful.

The Johnson's Story

Robert, our 9-year-old son, was always the kid in class getting into trouble. His teachers were sending notices home every week about his behavior. The principal met with me regularly. My biggest worry was that we would completely lose him and he would get into big trouble a few years from now. We raised him like our older child. For punishment, we took away his video games, his TV and his ipod. We certainly did not spoil him. None of these things changed his behavior. I never even considered that he was suffering from ADHD. To me, that was always an excuse that I believed parents used when they could not control their child. He was always an impulsive, forgetful and distracted child. I thought that this was normal. It never occurred to me that almost every teacher had made some comment about these behaviors every year. I saw Dr. Stacey Devaux after my pediatrician suggested that I get a psychological consultation. This was the first step in a series of changes that followed.

I was immediately impressed that I got a phone call and intake appointment right away. I heard horror stories of kids waiting 3 or 4 months for an appointment; that is almost half of a school year! Dr. Devaux took the time to evaluate every detail. She spent time with Robert, my husband and me. She worked with his teachers and even consulted with my doctor. After testing my son, she concluded that his behaviors were all part of his ADHD. Dr. Devaux also discovered a learning disability in reading and math. Robert’s frustration with school led to oppositional behavior at home with us and in his classroom. Once we identified his condition, life began to improve. School was always difficult for him. Dr. Devaux worked with his teachers to get him extra support. I tell parents now that, as soon as you suspect that something is not right with your child, look further. I did and it saved my child and my family.

Mary and Steve's Story

We were married at a young age. After the first year, my husband and I were fighting all of the time. It got to a point that we were calling each other derogatory names and ignoring one another for a week at a time. After 4 years of marriage, I grew more and more resentful of him. Many times, I did not want to go home after work. With two young children at home, I knew that they heard way more than they should have. As a way to show my anger at my husband, one month I had decided to stop cooking and cleaning my home. My communication with my husband had shut down completely. My family suffered, as my husband and I could not find any common ground. Everything resulted in an argument. My sister recommended me to East End Psychological Services, after she spoke with Dr. Volpe at a workshop.

We made our sessions with our therapist every week. I learned for the first time, how to compromise and speak "with" my husband, not "at" him. My husband, for the first time, learned how to listen to me, empathize and make me feel understood. As a couple, we responded really well to treatment. Our marriage and the lives of our twin boys got better. Of course, we have had our ups and downs even to this day. However, we learned to accept the good with the bad. We spend more time now in the "good" and this is all we ever wanted.