Success Story - Maria and Alicia

Alicia was a lonely and angry girl who didn’t get along with peers, siblings or her mother Maria, a formerly battered woman receiving counseling at Next Door. The oldest child in the family, Alicia was rebellious and resentful of the attention her younger sisters received from their mother.

Maria enrolled Alicia in the Just Us mother-and-daughter dance workshop, a combination therapy and dance/movement group. At the beginning and end of each session, mothers and daughters sit in a circle.

In the circle, Alicia didn’t sit next to her mother, while other mothers and daughters sat with their arms around each other. No affectionate hugs, words or looks passed between them.

Eventually, Alicia underwent a transformation. With time and no sibling competition for her mother’s attention, Alicia and her mother grew closer and began to display affection. Today, Maria and Alicia laugh and act silly together. Alicia smiles, initiates conversations with others, and her peers and siblings are experiencing a more engaging and likable friend and companion.

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