Success Story – Christine

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Understanding Feelings

eVIBE’s Stop and Think Program is designed for children in first through sixth grade. The program teaches children the skills and behaviors needed to avoid violence and develop positive and safe relationships. When presenting the lessons to an entire classroom of students, the eVIBE Skills Trainer may not always have the opportunity to hear directly from students about the day to day impact of each lesson topic or the effects of the program in each student’s personal life. Occasionally, though, the Skills Trainer is fortunate enough to get a first-hand perspective of the unique power and influence of Stop and Think and the impact on an individual student and his or her family members.

Christine was a fifth grade student who, with her teachers’ permission, requested to speak with the eVIBE Skills Trainer individually. She shared that her father passed away when she was very young, and a new father figure had recently come into her life. She feared losing the memory of her father, especially if she started to connect with her new father figure. These fears resulted in animosity and angry feelings. In the Stop and Think class lesson entitled “Understanding Feelings,” Christine learned steps to help identify her feelings and manage them. Specifically, she learned to take deep breaths, count to five, calm down and recognize her feelings.

Christine could vividly recall the emotions poster her Skills Trainer had use in class, and it served as a handy reference to identify her feelings. She also learned to identify feelings based on her body’s reactions. She asked herself questions such as, “Is my heart beating fast, or is my face turning red?” Then, she would ask herself what made her feel that way. With these tools, Christine was learning to identify and manage her feelings about her father in a healthier, more positive way.

Christine let the Skills Trainer know that not only was the Stop and Think Program fun, but it was teaching her a lot. She also expressed that she felt the eVIBE Skills Trainer was helpful and caring. The program made a big difference in her life.

*Names have been changed to protect the identities of our clients.

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