What People are
saying about ROCK

Dear Heather & Diane,

This letter is a long time coming!  We first became acquainted with the services at ROCK three years ago and have been meaning to write for some time.  When we first walked into the centre, we were at our wits end.  We were frustrated, scared, and felt like failures as parents as we were unable to help our children.  We had no idea what was wrong- we only knew that some of the problems we were facing were very very serious.  It felt to us that we had tried everything and nothing helped.  I was reading books and attending talks.  Lots of things we tried made it worse.  We now know that we were facing problems with severe anxiety, depression, tics, ADHD, and some learning issues.  Tension and behaviour issues were escalating and relationships within our family were very sadly deteriorating significantly and rapidly.  Our lovely little girls were very unhappy and stressed and we were at a loss of what to do to help them.

Recently I shared my story with an old friend and felt overcome with emotion when I described the profound help and impact the wonderful, competent and caring people we met through ROCK gave to our family.  We would not have had the means to access the help that we needed.  Because ROCK operates with a team, you are directed where you need help most.  Without the intense help we were given, I often wonder what would have become of us and more specifically our children.

It is impossible to put into words our gratitude or to measure the value.......

Families in our community need to know that Reach Out Centre for Kids exists.  Children can  be helped and spared the suffering that psychological problems can inflict.  People need to know that there is help and hope.  ROCK was there for us every step of the way.  Guiding and teaching toward promising change.....It has been a very long haul with  an enormous amount of time and effort required.  Sometimes that weight of the problems seemed insurmountable.   Progress was slow.  It was a life-line for us to know that there were people at ROCK there to help and that we were not judged. We really appreciate that the approach is to empower the family.....Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts......

Reproduced in part by permission, Names withheld by request.

Dear Ron,

My name is L.C. and I am on the waiting list to receive parent and child therapy for me and my 5 year old D.C.. I was referred to R.O.C.K by D.C.'s pediatrian in the Summer of 2009 because she was exhibiting signs of ADHD. Since, I called R.O.C.K, after a few weeks I met one-on-one with Angie Hayes (Parent-Child/Trauma Therapist). I spent a couple hours talking and Angie and she was extremely helpful. I must have read 20 parenting books before our meeting and Angie managed to help me more than all of the books combined in just a few hours. She gave me lots of hope and confidence. Angie also gave me a bunch of great ideas to take home with me to perform with D.C. to see if this helps us with behavioral issues. I have implemented all of them and have seen much improvement. Also, Angie told me that, although I am on a waiting list, that I could phone or email her with any questions and concerns I have regarding D.C.'s behavior and that she will contact me back as soon as she can.

Since September I have corresponded with Angie numerous times, both by phone and email. Angie has provided me with so much great advice and guidance, helping me tremendously be a good parent to my child. Being the best parent to my child is my #1 priority.

D.C. and I are very fortunate that R.O.C.K exists and is available to us.

Thank you on behalf of D.C. and I for your involvement in this wonderful service you provide to parents and their children.

Sincerely,

L.C. (reproduced by permission)

Rock is such a wonderful place, and the passion and dedication of the staff is just amazing; they are energetic and full of practical ideas that as a parent I can relate and practice in our home life. I am forever grateful for all the support and help my son received and I feel as a result he has become more confident and successful in other social situations.

Ana B.

Diane and Susan's seminar about Attachment was fantastic. Being a parent is tough at the best of times, but parenting children who joined the family via adoption adds additional complexities. This seminar provides wonderful factual insight into how your children became who they are. It explains in detail, how they are not only moulded by their biology and current environment, but by environments they were exposed to from birth onward. The seminar information doesn't stop there...once you start to unravel the mystery of what may have contributed to your child being who they are, you are armed with common sense ideas and practical approaches for helping them reach their fullest emotional potential. Diane and Susan draw upon their leanings from many esteemed professionals to bring a well-rounded perspective to some of the parenting challenges adoptive or foster parents face.

Thank you Diane and Susan for helping us understand the "additional baggage" that our children have brought along, as well as practical ways to "lighten their load"!

Debbie, an adoptive parent of two

“When I first joined the NHCYPP and ROCK, I was a mess and had frequent anxiety attacks, and was afraid of my own shadow. For the longest time, I had often thought there was no hope for me, and this was the way I was going to be for the rest of my life. Thanks to the helpful guidance from my counselor at the ROCK, my life has changed completely. I very rarely suffer anxiety at all, and I’m happier than I have ever been. In a very long time, and since coming, not one anxiety attack has come back to haunt me. “

Thanks

C.S.

We cannot overstate the importance of the work that ROCK does in our community.

Thanks to their dedicated and compassionate staff, our daughter now has a new focus and direction in both her academic and personal life.

Her confidence has returned and she is obviously a happy person.

Our entire family wishes to say, Thank You ROCK ...you have made a difference.

Dan and Jackie

"The staff at Aberdeen taught our daughter how to face her fears and move ahead with her life, take responsibility for her actions, and take care of herself before her anxiety mushroomed. They also taught her how to express her feelings honestly without blowing up. These are skills that will last a lifetime. (In addition, she learned to do her laundry, which was an added bonus!) As a family, we learned what we were doing that was not helpful, and as a result we now function much better. Aberdeen is clean, organized and homey, and the staff is caring and consistent. We highly recommend it!"

Name Withheld by request