SAY’s Lead Therapist Elizabeth Goldman shares two success stories from our Medi-Cal Counseling Clinic in Santa Rosa:
I am excited to share two very happy success stories, both highlighting the academic accomplishments of two of my clients.
Although they do not know each other, they are fine examples of the progress that can be made with the combination of personal determination and the support of SAY’s Counseling Clinic. Both are single mothers, in their early 20’s, and both have young daughters. Both of the young women have overcome many obstacles, including exiting violent relationships and establishing healthy peer groups. Through their personal growth in counseling, both have learned to set boundaries, speak up for themselves, and decrease their impulsivity, depression, and anxiety.
One of the young women, age 24, just graduated from SRJC and is applying to jobs in her chosen field. She has worked hard on the goals she set in counseling, and has gone from having a smaller role in the care of her daughter to being the primary caregiver and loving mother she wants to be. She is so very proud to model the traits in herself that she hopes to see in her daughter.
The other young women, age 23, just completed her very first semester at SRJC. This 23 year old is the first in her family to even attempt college. Due to a chaotic family environment when she was growing up, she never experienced success in school. She often went hungry as a child and is determined to provide a better life for her child. Before she started the semester, the school attempted to schedule placement exams, but this client knew herself and told the school she knew she needed to start at the very beginning. Throughout the semester, she worked hard to prioritize her schoolwork, and the effort paid off in excellent grades. She has decided she liked college so much that she plans to attend summer school. Why wait for the fall semester when one is on this kind of a roll!
Neither of these young women started from easy circumstances, and both of them have shown that with a little help and a little time there can be a big payoff.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Goldman, SAY Lead Therapist
