Accepting help is its own kind of strength--a success story as told by an MST therapist
When I initially contacted Arturo’s mother by phone, she was very reluctant about receiving Multisystemic Therapy (MST). She felt it was Arturo, on probation at the time, who needed therapy, not her. As soon as I sensed her pushback, I eased her apprehension by suggesting we meet in person, promising her that once I explained the services in detail, it would all make sense to her. During the first session, mother was engaged and very intrigued on how MST would work. Once she opened up to the possibility that I could help her help Arturo change his behaviors, she began to slowly buy in.
Their home was small, but warm and welcoming. Our sessions were always held at the dining table with their two friendly and adorable cats, Babe and Buddha, pleading for attention. Luckily for me, I’m a cat lover, so it was a wonderful way to engage with the family. In addition to Babe and Buddha, there was sometimes a rambunctious, but cute 2–year-old named Mario running around and crawling in and out from under the table.
