Natalie* is a 4 year old girl whose mom brought her to therapy after the loss of her father. Natalie had begun to act out and was confused about death. Natalie’s therapist used stuffed animals in play therapy to help Natalie communicate her feelings and clarify her confusion. Throughout their play, Natalie continued to have her characters die, then return to play. It wasn’t until her therapist removed the “daddy cow” entirely from their play space that Natalie could understand that death is final. She has been able to comprehend her loss and start moving forward.

Jack* is a recent college graduate struggling to make a career for himself in Chicago. In the struggle, Jack found himself questioning his faith and felt like he had no place he could express his uncertainty without guilt or judgment. When he had nowhere else to turn he came to a therapist at Cornerstone.  At Cornerstone, Jack has found a safe place to work through his doubt and come to terms with his faith. He was also able to set clear, definable goals for his future and is working to establish himself in a career he enjoys.

Dolores* is a woman in her forties who entered therapy to try to combat her suicidal thoughts. Dolores recently lost her 16 year-old son to suicide, and found out that her daughter had been sexually abused by her ex-husband. Dolores was unable to express her feelings in English, but through her Spanish-speaking therapist at Cornerstone she was able to sign a contract promising to not harm herself or others. She has continued to work to forgive and stop blaming herself for her son’s suicide and daughter’s abuse.

Jessica* and Deon* saw therapy as a way to save their marriage. While trying to live up to family expectations, overcome challenges and stereotypes of their bicultural marriage and an instance of infidelity, Jessica and Deon realized they could not maintain their relationship alone. At Cornerstone the couple has worked together to identify and validate key emotions in each other. With their therapist, they have worked to identify areas in which their marriage is failing, forgive one another and make plans for how to save their marriage.

Tonya Jones* and her children, James*, Felicia* and Darren* weren’t sure where to turn when their home life spun out of control. The three children were often suspended from school because of fighting with each other and their peers. Through therapy at Cornerstone they have learned to communicate with each other and honestly express their emotions. The children have been given tools to learn to control their verbal and physical aggression.  The entire family has reported a more pleasant and supportive home life. *All client names changed to protect confidentiality