Category Archives: Dyslexia

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Assistance in the Rio Grande Valley and more

This is a message from our exceptionally brilliant and compassionate trainer, Jacqueline (Jackie). Her life’s passion is to help Veterans, and she asked us to post this for all Veterans, especially in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), if they need help.

I have been a graduate psychologist at the VA down here in the RGV. After working in 3 different VA health care systems, I have seen the great need for Veteran care and have seen both good (actually excellent) and bad ways VAs are run and treatment is provided. It is with an EXTREMELY saddened heart that I can no longer allow myself to provide a lower level of care to Veterans than what they deserve, nor be forced into functioning in a treatment setting that is providing unethical care.

I LOVE my work with Veterans and see such a huge need for this to continue, but as I leave, I also see several other amazing psychologists leaving as well due to the same challenges. I continue to see a need for Behavioral Health Care in the Rio Grande Valley, with Veterans and Civilians alike. After 11 years of schooling and 7 years providing Behavioral Health (BH) Services, I was completing my licensure requirements as a psychologist to provide the highest and most comprehensive options out there, however, despite the need for services in the RGV, I ran into several dead ends for finishing this last piece. However, I am willing to put my own final step on hold to help two communities (Veterans and anyone in the RGV) in need of BH services.

I hold a Masters Level License in the State of Texas that allows me to practice independently (but with some restrictions from what I would have had with my psychologist license and obviously at about 1/3-1/4 of the pay). I am hoping to make some things come together over the next month or two (and will probably be open to picking up random general labor work as my student loans have gone into effect and I incurred debt moving from Idaho to here), but am hoping to offer TeleHealth (similar to Skyping but in a much more secure system) and/or in home therapy/animal assisted-therapy services here in the RGV at hopefully a fraction of the cost of some other places (most likely on an income based sliding scale fee basis) since I will not be accepting insurance and I am wanting to reach a larger population of those in need.

That being said, minus the in-home piece, I am able to offer this TeleHealth service within the scope of my practice anywhere in the state of Texas. I am most wanting to reach Veterans as I know for many, wait times between treatment sessions is 2-3 months in several facilities throughout the state. However, I am also really wanting to service Civilians in the RGV and throughout Texas. I am NOT bilingual unfortunately, but have a considerable amount of understanding of the RGV culture, the Hispanic Culture, and the Texas Hispanic Culture.

For those of you who may know of people who may be able to benefit from this, please feel free to contact me. I will gladly share my extensive training and treatment experience with anyone who requests this, and am hoping to start this as an option for the community within the next two months.

Please contact me at: Jacqueline Kappelman

Anxiety, Depression, Dyslexia, Experience, Panic Attack, Texas

In Inuko Own Words

 

A beautifully written message from our dear client, Inuko, who lost her first SDIT, Trooper. She asked me to share this. We so appreciate her words. We love you dearly, Inuko!

“Dear SDE,

Let me start off by saying thank you… Thank you for giving me my life back. When I found Trooper, I was wasting away, sick, depressed, and scared. I barely slept at night and when I did, I had awful nightmares. I was miserable. And then… Trooper saved me. Suddenly, I knew I wasn’t alone, no matter where I went or who was around. When I got to places I couldn’t get back from, he chased me down and loved me until my demons were gone. They couldn’t touch me.

When Trooper died, I was terrified. I was upset and hurt. However… He had brought somebody else into my life. Orianna. He called to her and she came, and when he passed, she helped to take care of me. She means the world to me. She’s helped so much.

Incident struck again, and I’ve been graced with a third dog. Right when we realized that Orianna is too skittish to be a good SD, we talked to wonderful Cherry at the perfect time, and we were led to Gadget.

I wondered why this happened, and now I know. My spinal surgery – done before Trooper passed – failed. My disc herniated once more, worse than before, and now I’m going to have to get a spinal fusion. Because of all of my other health problems, I will most likely spend three weeks unable to walk and will have to go through extensive physical therapy. A close loved one recently passed away. I felt completely alone, terrified, hurt. I felt like I had nowhere to go. Then, one day, I curled up on the floor to cry… and both of my girls crawled over to me to lie down on me. They licked away my tears, made me feel like I wasn’t alone, and then… I slept.

I’m sure people at SDE will understand the beauty of that statement. I slept. I rested. I dreamed a happy dream and I woke up smiling. I slept! Through the pain and the fear, I managed to sleep…. and it was all because of my girls.

All three of my dogs have come into my life purely by chance, and all three of them have changed everything. I’m still sick. I am going to have to have surgery again. I will be even worse after the surgery. But you know what? It’s okay. It’s really, really okay. I’ve got my Family; people who love me eternal. I’ve got my haven; my home is finally safe and secure. I’ve got my World again… and it’s all thanks to my girls.

So dear everybody reading this, let me tell you something, okay? It gets better. It may seem like it never will. You might be scared. You might be hurting. You might be sick… I’m right there with you… and let me tell you: you’re not alone. You’re never alone. You’ve got the people at Service Dog Express, just like I do… and you have your dogs. They change lives.

They changed my life.
Thank you.
Inuko

ADHD, Asperger's, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia

Another wonderful update from Candace, our trainer in Dallas:

dyslexia“Sunday, we had our first group class with LaCretia and her SDIT Boomer and the Kelli and her family and SDIT Buddy. Kelly’s son is a ten year-old with Asperger’s, dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, auditory processing disorder and mild hearing loss. LaCretia has adrenal failure, and needs Boomer to learn to alert to her cortisone levels.

It was a great success! We spent the first hour getting to know one another and working commands. I set up flags for “Command Stations” and we practiced each command for about a minute and a half. Then, we moved on and practiced walking next to a moderately busy road. After that, we worked on the command “Under” with dysgraphiapicnic tables and benches. The second hour we spent in the mall, just walking and getting the dogs public exposure. They did really fantastic! We walked around the mall and in several stores – one of which was filled with children. We still have some kinks to work out, but all in all, we have some pretty spectacular and hard working families!”