Fresh Beginnings

Moving into the new year, many of us are excited about a fresh beginning. The Martinelli family is no different.

Last year, the family faced many difficulties. Mom felt overwhelmed, and it was impacting her ability to parent. She felt like she was failing, and it just made her want to give up. These issues had started to lead to behavioral issues for the children.

Out of concern for their safety, they were connected with Savio. Mom moved out of the home while Dad became the sole caretaker. Mom worked to build on her parenting skills during supervised visitation. Her biggest struggle was building confidence around her ability to be a good mom. She told her therapist how frustrated she felt by her kid’s behaviors, and how helpless she felt being unable to stop them

She was starting to shut down, instead of responding to her children’s needs.

Near the top of the issues was that her son, Gabe, had a hard time understanding personal space, was stealing items from other kids at school, and lying more than is typical for a child his age.

Savio helped mom understand her son’s behaviors and see ways to teach him about telling the truth, respecting personal space, listening to requests from his parents, and asking permission before using items. Gabe truly wanted to improve his behaviors, and working with his therapist gave him the confidence to believe that he could. At the same time, mom was working on developing the skills that would allow her to address any behaviors from her children. She and her therapist worked to implement a system that she could use to rewards her kids’ positive behaviors and sets clear boundaries for negative ones.

Gabe was often embarrassed by his “sticky fingers” and didn't understand why he would take other kids toys and school assignments. He would get visibly upset about returning items to classmates, and he knew that it was making it difficult for him to make friends. During his final session with his therapist, he was excited to announce that he had not stolen anything in 10 days!  

Throughout her time working with Savio, mom built confidence in her parenting skills and saw a positive way forward. This month, she moved home with a continued plan to improve her parenting skills. Her husband saw her efforts to become a better parent, and it helped to heal their relationship as well. 

All their hard work has allowed the Martinelli's to start 2022 with the best possible chance to be a happy, healthy family.