The stories below are just a few examples of the work that CHAC has done for 47 years to create happier, healthier individuals, families, and communities. Except for cases where express permission was granted, names have been changed to protect client privacy.

Megan’s Story: From Bully to Leader

Told by Jillian Harwood, MFT, Former CHAC Clinician

Unlike many children who are referred for counseling, Megan did well academically. However, she was often sent to the office for misbehavior like shouting, arguing, and ignoring others. She came to me with the following unfortunate labels affixed by her third-grade teachers: “head bully,” “manipulative,” and “stubborn.” It was clear from our first meeting that Megan was bright and insightful. She knew that she felt angry, but did not know how to manage those feelings and shared that she wanted help. As it happens, the misbehavior masked a generous spirit: Deep inside, what Megan really wanted—her chosen superpower, expressed during a game of icebreaker questions—was to have the ability to make both herself and others happy.

This admission led to a deeper conversation where we discussed the differences between superheroes and villains, which helped Megan recognize that both groups had magic, but it was how they used it that determined to which group they belonged. Megan worked hard and was motivated to learn better communication skills and calm-down techniques that would work at school, at home, and in life. I worked closely with her teacher, who implemented positive reinforcement, and soon very different words were used to describe Megan including “natural leader,” “determined,” and “focused.” I will never forget our last session, when Megan told me, “Today my friends and I spent all of recess helping sad kids. We helped them and then invited them to join in and find other sad kids. It felt really good using my superpower!”

“I was an intern at CHAC for three years. They provided excellent supervision that helped me grow as a therapist!”

Maureen’s Story: Healing a Family

When my daughter Diana was five she was abruptly taken from us by a close family member and sent far away to live overseas with relatives. We fought for years to find and bring her home. Eight years later, she was returned—to a family she barely remembered and which now included a younger sister and brother. We were overjoyed to have her back; however, it was a huge adjustment, and not always an easy one. At the time of Diana’s reunion to us she was 14 years old and a completely different child. She was struggling to adjust to a new environment and family that felt foreign to her. When she began acting out with self-destructive behavior, she was referred to a CHAC counselor at her school. After several sessions the unstable environment and trauma she sustained during the years she was away was revealed.

That was a turning point for my family. Eventually all five of us received CHAC therapy. CHAC turned out to be a wonderful, safe place. They helped Diana heal, and helped us better understand her. They helped my family stay together and gave me wonderful parenting tips. They were there for my husband and me when we needed couples counseling, and for my younger children as they grew up and faced their own issues. They always made their services affordable for us.

This all happened in the 90s. My kids are grown, with families of their own, and doing fantastic. My husband and I are still together after 38 years. We no longer live in California, but I will never forget the difference that CHAC made for us all. My family is incredibly grateful to CHAC, the counselors, and the resources made available to us during that challenging time in our lives.

“Over the years, CHAC has helped many of my students to become socially/emotionally ready at school. Sometimes students are experiencing trauma at home, sometimes they are having behavioral challenges at school, and sometimes they are struggling to find friendships. No matter the struggle, CHAC has been a great resource to help me bridge that gap with my students.”

—Fifth Grade Teacher

Barbara’s Story: Connection and Community

I am an educator by trade, focusing on early childhood. I consider myself semi-retired, though I like to stay connected with former colleagues and keep my finger on the pulse of local organizations that work to help young children and strengthen families. Volunteering for agencies focused in these areas was a natural progression as I looked to fill my time. It turns out that one of these organizations had a satellite office that operated out of a school just down the street from me: CHAC’s Family Resource Centers (FRCs). I started volunteering with them last August and continued until shelter-in-place necessitated their classes going virtual.

That was a difficult period for me. My husband passed away a few years ago, my son had recently moved away, and my computer was hopelessly outdated; it didn’t even have a webcam so that I could participate in online events. Keeping busy in my community is important to me, and suddenly I felt very alone and isolated.

Thank goodness for Amy at CHAC’s FRC. She and I kept in regular touch by phone and email. She suggested the possibility of a webcam, and my son encouraged me to go for it! Both were very supportive. After that the hard drive on my computer starting acting up, so I purchased a new, updated computer. This allowed me to do Zoom and has led me to the opportunity to be involved remotely with CHAC’s FRCs once again. We have been looking for ways that I can continue to volunteer virtually, and we found a niche where I can do what I love: Read to young children! I so appreciate that CHAC not only continues to serve children and families in our community, but provides a place for me to put my skills to wonderful use!

“CHAC’s Latinx/Multi-Cultural Initiatives serve some of our most vulnerable community members. They have supported many who have gone on to feel empowered to make important differences in their own lives and in our community.”

Who Are CHAC’s School Clients?

CHAC’s therapists are a welcome and much-needed presence in our schools whose work with individual students—thoughtfully targeted and adapted to best meet their individual needs—can span several years. Your ongoing generosity enables CHAC to continue to serve at-risk students for as long as needed, students like:

Eddie

Eddie is a nine-year-old ESL student who was referred to CHAC for selective mutism that began in second grade and was triggered only at school. His CHAC therapist used physical activity and games on the playground to elicit sounds, counting, and eventually words. Eddie began speaking in CHAC sessions, and by the end of the term was able to have several speaking interactions with peers on the playground. Eddie will likely need emotional support services through fifth grade, but as he builds confidence his therapist will continue to work with him to move him “up a ladder” to other verbal interactions.

MARIA

Maria is an 8-year old third grader, who was experiencing anxiety about beginning the new school year, being bullied at school, and managing some chronic pre-existing medical difficulties. Her anxiety was exhibited by somatic complaints (e.g. headaches, stomachaches), crying during the mornings and at school, and catastrophic thoughts. She also had difficulty controlling her anger at home.

Her CHAC therapist used cognitive-behavioral techniques to help her build a toolkit of coping skills including use of a weekly “feelings thermometer,” mindfulness breathing exercises, and restructuring negative thoughts. Over the course of 13 weeks, Maria’s significant improvement was demonstrated by her decrease in somatic complaints and catastrophic thinking, and (most importantly) her and her parents’ reports of positive affect and her enjoyment of coming to school every day.

Lila

Lila had sometimes debilitating anxiety that prohibited her from participating in many school activities when she was in third grade. With support, encouragement, and mindfulness techniques, Lila has gradually learned to more effectively tolerate and navigate anxious thoughts and feelings. Now 13, Lila finds much more enjoyment in daily activities as her anxiety levels have significantly decreased and her sense of self-worth has grown.

Henry

Henry is a third grader who had been identified as a person “on the autism spectrum” by the school and who told his CHAC therapist his goals were “to have friends” and “to have a best friend.” Understanding that rigidity experienced in people on the spectrum can reduce awareness of social signals, his therapist used a “circle of communication” technique and role-playing to help Henry develop interactive conversational skills. Henry came to his therapist just before the end of the fall term and “screamed, “I have friends now! I have a best friend!”

Mary

Mary, 13, was referred to CHAC for crisis and grief counseling after the sudden death of her mother. She gradually began to use her therapy sessions as a place to process, release, and integrate painful emotions. Her therapist supported and encouraged her to explore both the effects of grieving on her life and the continued spiritual connection she feels with her deceased mother—a connection that has helped Mary re-engage with her studies and make healthy and positive decisions.

Juan

Juan, six, had emotional issues including problems making friends and controlling his temper. When he first came to CHAC for therapy, he incorporated themes of death and dying into his play sessions. After months of therapy focused on improving his self- esteem and general interest in life, Juan no longer talks about dying or hits or kicks others when frustrated. He enjoys play sessions, where themes have shifted to becoming more interactive and light-hearted. He especially likes making tactile art/science experiments and even shows interest in becoming a “scientist/artist” in the future.

Terry

Fourth grader Terry shared with his CHAC counselor that “I have seen six therapists and some who are professionals.” His counselor replied, “Hey wait a minute, I’m a professional!” To which Terry responded, “No, no…people who have been working for like, 40 years. And none of them have helped me the way you have. I have actually gotten better with you.”

First Grader

The following story illustrates the positive outcomes of CHAC’s “wraparound” support for students and family members in which support for one challenge can evolve into identification of and support for other related issues.

This first-grade client came to CHAC’s attention when he participated in a social skills group and was mean to all the other participants. The need for individual counseling was evident and the child was placed with a CHAC therapist to work on the underlying issues of his aggressive behavior.

This child had a reputation on campus of hitting others, lying and telling outrageous stories. He was acting out on the playground and in the classroom; he was also struggling academically and upon observation in class, the CHAC therapist noticed he was presenting with symptoms of dysgraphia (inability to write coherently).  This student was previously diagnosed with ADHD and Autism but was not receiving any Occupational Therapy (OT) services for writing support.  In addition to acting out, this boy’s other coping mechanism for the academic struggles in the classroom was frequent bathroom visits.

Working with the family system through parent meetings showed that the parents had very different ideas about how to parent this child together. The CHAC therapist coached the parents about boundaries and consistency with consequences. In addition, couples counseling was recommended to help with their own disagreements at home. This child’s mother decided on additional support for herself by choosing to see an individual therapist to learn alternative ways to parent, as well as ways to reduce her own stress.

This young boy appreciated and flourished under individual therapy. When a good relationship with the CHAC therapist was established, and he felt like he wouldn’t get into trouble, he stopped lying and told the truth about what was happening in his world. He was able to express his creativity and intelligence through elaborate drawings and other interventions.

His academic performance improved, and he stopped leaving the classroom to go to the restroom multiple times a day. With more appropriate consequences and like-minded parenting techniques between his parents, his home environment improved, and his aggressive behavior on the playground and in the classroom diminished.

CHAC’s wraparound support system and relationship building in individual counseling provided this child and his family the tools to reverse his aggressive and attention seeking behaviors and become more focused and productive in the classroom while experiencing improved sense of self.

A.P., STUDENT

AP was referred to CHAC in the first grade for severe anxiety about interacting with adults other than her parents. This mainly manifested as selective mutism – meaning she was capable of speaking to her parents and other children, but could not communicate with adults in an effective way. This became a particular issue when AP started school, as she was unable to communicate any of her needs to her teacher. Her parents were frequently frustrated when she would not speak to certain relatives, and worried about her functioning at school. It was also difficult to assess her academic development in preschool and the first grade, because she could not communicate the things she was learning.

We started working with AP in the first grade. At that point in the year, she was able to occasionally whisper to her teacher and to other students, but could not communicate with other school personnel. She often became frustrated that she wasn’t being understood. We understood that her inability to speak was not a sign of willfulness or desire to withdraw, rather it was a vivid presentation of severe anxiety that rendered her legitimately incapable of producing speech around certain people. AP lacked the skills to effectively regulate her anxiety response, and was overwhelmed by it. In CHAC, AP worked on building skills to help regulate her physiological responses, and engaged in exercises that gradually exposed her to increasingly challenging situations in which to practice her verbal communication. AP showed great determination and bravery, and committed herself to these exercises despite her fears. Over a short period of time (13 sessions), significant improvement was achieved; demonstrating the ability to speak in a whisper to multiple members of school staff.

AP is still in treatment with CHAC, and is working toward further milestones in her treatment goals. Her parents would like her to continue with CHAC in the second grade. They have also expressed interest in adjunctive care such as camps dedicated to treatment of selective mutism, as well as remaining at CHAC in-house services through the summer between school years.

Jane

The following story illustrates how CHAC supports and stabilizes families, which relieves students of the stressors they face outside of school and frees them to focus on learning.

Jane is a devoted and protective mother who willingly makes sacrifices for her son. She came to CHAC because she was trying to decide whether to stay with her abusive husband, a man she does not love, for her son’s benefit.

When she first began coming to sessions, she appeared sad, a little timid, and fearful. She began to tell her history, one filled with various traumas. She routinely put others’ happiness before her own and expressed a desire to just “sleep in a room and cry.” She questioned why bad things happened to her, and was not aware of her own strength and courage.

At CHAC, Jane established a strong, trusting, and culturally competent rapport with her therapist. She began to question whether staying with an abusive partner was the best option for her son.  She was motivated to call a social services agency she had been referred to, in order to explore her options. She began to smile in session and laugh; she also began to recognize her own strengths.

At the end of her sessions, Jane often thanks her CHAC therapist and tells him that she has told him things no one else knows, only a select few. She says that therapy is the one place she can feel safe with a male, be vulnerable, and express those things she has kept bottled up for so long. 

“I am so proud of CHAC. For 40+ years, CHAC’s staff and counseling interns have created programs that help students do well in school and become contributing members of our communities. CHAC addresses the original concerns of substance abuse as well as domestic violence issues, anti-bullying, anger management, social emotional issues along with new challenges. CHAC is a cost-effective source for community support. We ALL benefit from more harmony in classrooms, playgrounds, neighborhoods and homes. CHAC is a beneficiary in my trust. The need for CHAC won’t end.”

—JM

Mike

For Mike, a high school senior, smoking marijuana had become a daily routine. Initially, he didn’t think he needed help. When his smoking escalated, he began seeing a CHAC counselor with expertise in teen substance abuse issues. With local teen drug use on the rise, his clinical supervisor notes, “Some teens are turning to drugs because of an emotional disconnect in the family, and using drugs to "grieve" for that loss of emotional support.”  

Through a combination of therapy, education and mindfulness techniques, Mike was able to develop a "meta" awareness of his addiction and the triggers associated with his smoking. According to Mike, his CHAC counselor “just wanted me to be constantly aware of when I'm smoking, why I'm smoking, who I'm smoking with — the whole situation. I realized that I can be sober and still have fun, and the only way that happened is because I was the one who got there."

Now 18 years old and graduated from high school, Mike is sober and has stopped smoking marijuana. 

MORE SCHOOL-AGED STUDENTS

CHAC helps many students across the 30+ schools where we operate. One intern in the Mountain View district shared these stories.

A student I counsel has extreme anxiety which actually surprised me quite a bit in the very beginning. I soon found some ways to make her smile, and she has been smiling so much more after a few sessions. The teacher said, "Oh yeah, she's been smiling more, and I even saw her LAUGHING the other day!" This made me tear up!

A person at the front office told me about a boy who was extremely sad. After hearing his mother's concerns as well, I immediately sensed the need for immediate action and felt that I had to start seeing him as soon as possible. I got the teacher's permission for counseling. He's been making real progress and smiling more. The same office worker told me the other day that he now sees that the student is smiling more; he said, "Whatever you guys are doing is working. Keep it up." This was very encouraging. 

A parent shared the following comment in an email: “I'm so glad you guys enjoyed your time together, I knew you would! He told me all about it and how he wishes to see you more than once a week lol.... He also told me that because of your time together he had such a great day afterwards; he even got a compliment on his hard work in class from the principal."  I see how much children need a safe place and a "safe person". I look forward to building more positive relationships with my clients.

A teacher asked me (CHAC counselor) how her student was doing, and I said, "He's doing very well." She felt maybe he didn't need counseling anymore. The teacher then asked the student if he felt ready to stop seeing me; he responded: "NO. I like counseling," so, the teacher gave up on that idea!