A Journey of Healing: How EBC Transformed A Family’s Life

When your child is struggling deeply—emotionally, behaviorally, academically—it doesn’t just affect them. It changes your world as a parent. For Janet and her son Kyle, life had become a cycle of stress and uncertainty. What began as small challenges at school had snowballed into daily battles, and Janet was constantly bracing for the next crisis.

“I was on edge all the time,” Janet remembers. “Calls from school, meltdowns at home—I felt like I was walking on eggshells. And I just didn’t know how to help him.”

Kyle had always been a bright and creative child with a deep love of drawing. Art was his outlet—a way to process his feelings when words failed. But as his anxiety and emotional dysregulation grew, even his sketchbook started gathering dust. Traditional school environments weren’t equipped to support him, and the constant misunderstandings around his behavior only made things worse.

Then came a turning point: someone mentioned Esther B. Clark School (EBC), a therapeutic day school at CHC designed for students with emotional and behavioral challenges.

A Place That “Got Him”

From her very first conversation with the EBC team, Janet sensed something different.

“They didn’t just ask about his grades or his behaviors,” she said. “They asked about him. What he loved, what made him feel safe, how he expressed himself. No one had ever done that.”

At EBC, Kyle was welcomed into a small, structured classroom where he was understood—not just academically, but emotionally. The school’s Positive Behavior Teaching (PBT) model provided clear expectations, positive reinforcement, and a deep sense of safety. Every adult in the building—from teachers to therapists—was part of Kyle’s support system.

One of the first things staff noticed was Kyle’s incredible artistic talent.

“They encouraged him to bring his art supplies,” Janet said. “It sounds so small, but it was huge. He started drawing again. He’d come home and show me what he’d created things that reflected what he was working through emotionally. His art came back before his words did.”

Support for the Whole Family

For Janet, EBC wasn’t just a school for Kyle—it became a lifeline for her, too. She was invited to be part of the process from day one, with regular family therapy sessions and communication from the team that felt more like a partnership than a parent report card.

“I didn’t feel blamed. I felt seen,” she said. “There was no judgment—just a sense that we were all in this together.”

Through therapy and coaching, Janet learned how to respond to Kyle’s needs in calmer, more effective ways. She developed language to use at home that mirrored what he was hearing at school, creating consistency and reducing power struggles. Perhaps most importantly, she found a community of other parents who understood the emotional toll—and who could offer support, humor, and perspective on the hardest days.

Small Wins, Big Hope

Progress wasn’t immediate—but it was steady. Janet remembers the moment she saw Kyle pause and use a coping strategy instead of spiraling into a meltdown.

“He was upset, and I could see it building. But instead of yelling or shutting down, he asked for a break and went to draw. That’s never happened before. And I just stood there and cried.”

EBC gave Kyle tools to recognize and manage his emotions. It also gave him opportunities to celebrate success—whether it was earning points for positive choices, reconnecting with his creativity, or feeling proud of a group project.

The school eventually helped Kyle transition back into a less restrictive classroom setting. Janet was nervous, but EBC stayed involved during the process, helping her and Kyle adjust to the change with confidence.

A Brighter Future

Today, Kyle is thriving. He’s still an artist at heart—and now, he has the emotional resilience to match his creative spirit. He recently designed a comic strip about managing stress that his therapist shared with other students.

Janet, too, feels transformed. “I’m not the same parent I was,” she said. “I have tools now. I have support. I have hope.”

Looking back, she credits EBC not just with helping her son—but with helping her become the parent he needed.

“EBC didn’t just help Kyle find his way—they helped us find our way back to each other.”