A Mother Shares Her Experience with MST

Posted by MST Parent, Phoenix

Mar 29, 2016 2:50:49 PM

Multisystemic Therapy helps family get their daughter back

Wow. Where should I begin? Best to start at the beginning. Two years ago, our teenage daughter began having behavioral issues. To us, she did a 180 overnight, and we had no idea what was happening. She left home without permission, became physically and verbally aggressive toward us, used substances, had problems at school and got in trouble with the law. She was like a different child, and we had no idea what had changed or what to do about it. 

We looked all over for help ranging from hospital stays to police encounters, and the only answers we received were to call Child Protective Services or put her in a group home. We were so lost. 

Then came Touchstone, a provider of evidence-based programs in Phoenix—and Multisystemic Therapy. At Touchstone, we met Andrea. She did our intake and was assigned our MST therapist. She was so refreshing. 

Support in a period of crisis

The Touchstone program provided balance and emotional healing to us as parents during a traumatic time. It provided guidance and reassurance that we were doing the right thing. It helped us understand what was going on with our child and how to lead our family in a safe, balanced and healthy way with positive results. In less than a month, mind you. 

During the early days of treatment, our daughter left home without permission almost daily. We had no idea where she was going or what she was doing. We worked with Andrea to develop a clear set of expectations that our daughter would not leave home without our permission. I was asked to follow her and to collaborate with people in my community to locate and bring her back home. Andrea came over and helped me implement the behavior-management and monitoring plans.

Before long, we saw glimpses of our daughter as she once was. She was asking permission before she left the house, she had her first successful semester of online school and we were able to talk through disagreements without it turning into a large-scale conflict. Andrea helped me understand that when I was trying to do “teachable moments” during conflict, I was actually engaging in the conflict and inadvertently creating the very behavior I was trying to “teach against.” She taught me to disengage and address behaviors later when we were both calm. Andrea was like walking sunshine. She got me to trust myself as a mom and to trust in the ideas I had about parenting. Once I realized that I had the right answers in me, I started to trust what I was doing with my own child. Andrea directed me in how to stop second-guessing myself. She gave me some answers, but ultimately, she helped me make my own decisions as a parent. 

Looking back, we wish we knew about Touchstone a year ago.

Therapist Andrea—the epitome of dedication and competence

As far as Andrea, we are impressed with her professionalism, education and how she follows protocol by the book. Always says, “Hey, let me talk to my supervisor about that” or goes over plans and actions that the supervisor recommends. Doesn't try and diagnose anything or go rogue. She is a team player. She just follows MST guidelines. I never met someone in family services who cares, appreciates or respects people she works with so much. Again she is by the book. God says if you seek me, you shall find me. I feel MST, even though not Bible-based, fits right along with what the Bible has to say. I feel we prayed for the truth, and MST was our answer. How one person can be so beneficial and healing to so many people in a family unit is amazing.

Andrea also handled the court-ordered substance-abuse treatment with my daughter. Our daughter found her approachable. Andrea didn’t try to be her friend, yet gained her respect. As a family, we felt empowered.

Touchstone MST works. Thank you for the fantastic resources and structure of your program. Thank you for choosing educated, healthy, balanced employees. Andrea makes it seem so easy, but we know from working with other services that isn’t the norm. Thank you again, and thank you so much for Andrea. As a whole, your services have been an absolute positive healing blessing, and you are greatly appreciated.

Research has shown that MST not only helps the child involved, but also their siblings. To learn more, download this white paper.

Download Now

Topics: MST Success Stories