PLF brought Micheal, Gabriela, Olivia, and Elizabeth closer as a family. September 2025.
A family is a team, working together like a well-oiled machine to face challenges as a unit. A team can choose to give up when obstacles pop up, or they can choose to rally behind each other and try to fix the situation. That is exactly what Gabriela and Micheal did.
Gabriela and Micheal have two daughters, Olivia, 8, and Elizabeth, 6. They recently completed sixth months of family therapy with Olivia at ECS Para Las Familias (PLF).
Before PLF, Olivia exhibited behavioral issues that left her parents very concerned. She experienced severe breakdowns, occurring multiple nights in a row on many occasions. “We couldn't really get her under control,” Micheal said. “She was hating herself and saying things bad about herself.” Her parents recalled instances where she would go so far as to kick the walls or doors or even hit herself. It was a constant struggle.
But the hurt felt by the situation went beyond just Olivia. “Elizabeth would break down and cry a lot of times when [Olivia] was throwing her tantrums,” Micheal said.
Gabriela and Micheal strived for balanced teamwork through the breakdowns and their relationship remained steady, but they were under immense stress. “I found ourselves constantly on edge, because we had just finished having to deal with the tantrums, and the outbursts, and then any little thing was bothering us, because we were already exhausted,” Gabriela explained.
Despite their efforts, nothing worked. “I think we felt pretty desperate to find a solution, some help, someone that can explain why she's going through this,” Gabriela said.
Thankfully, family friends Jessica and George told Gabriela and Micheal about PLF. “Their daughter [Leilani] and Olivia have similar traits and when they said that they learned techniques and that they see a difference – and we saw a difference – I was like, ‘Get me in, get me in,’” Gabriela said.
The family approached PLF as a team. Gabriela and Micheal knew it was crucial that they both attended with Olivia. They were nervous, but to their excitement, they began to see a change in their daughter.
The key to overcoming this challenge though, didn’t lie just with Olivia: it was a family affair. Gabriela and Micheal attended PLF’s parenting class in conjunction with the therapy. With the help of PLF therapist Andrea, they learned a variety of tools they could implement in their parenting to better support and guide their children. “We wanted her to know that we were there when she was upset,” Gabriela said. “We'll let her know... ‘I'm gonna be right here.’”
Family therapy sessions and parenting classes helped Olivia and her parents build understanding and communicate effectively. September 2025.
As they continued therapy with PLF therapist Joana, Olivia displayed clear growth. She learned new ways to cope with big emotions and became more social. Her parents even observed her using games and lessons from PLF to share her newfound wisdom with her little sister.
Gabriela and Micheal shared that they feel the lessons the entire family learned from PLF will stick with them for life and would be beneficial to any family. “I think anybody that has kids for the first time should take the parenting class,” Micheal said. “I think it's very helpful, even if you don't have a kid that's having breakdowns, because some of the stuff they teach you is good for babies... I think some of those techniques would have been nice to implement a lot younger.”
PLF gave Gabriela, Micheal, and their daughters many tools and techniques to work better as a team, all at no cost to the family. “I thought the therapy was really expensive,” she said. “Everybody makes it seem like it's a very privileged thing to go to. When families are struggling it's really good that [ECS is] able to offer stuff like that.” No family should be without help due to their financial situation. Providing free therapy, parenting classes, and childcare all at PLF makes help accessible to any family.
A weight is lifted off the whole family. “It's not gonna be perfect, and I didn't expect not to have any problems or issues, but it is like night and day... sometimes I just go, ‘Wow, she's so mature now,’” Gabriela said. “Every single day, we look forward to the next day, because it was like a new beginning.”
To learn more about Para Las Familias visit www.ecscalifornia.org/para-las-familias.