From Victimization to Finding her Voice
Hailey *, a 17-year-old female client , recently successfully graduated from therapy services at The Women ’ s Center , presenting as a completely different young woman than when she began services . When Hailey began services last year , both she and her mom reported that her daily functioning was significantly impacted by many trauma symptoms , including depression , anxiety , fear , isolation , panic attacks , sleeping problems , low self-esteem , concentration difficulties and self-harming behaviors .
Hailey reported being sexually assaulted while spending the night at a friend ’ s house , by a male family member of the friend . This experience compounded difficult emotions she was already experiencing , as she had also reported previously witnessing domestic violence . Between the two difficult events , Hailey was scared to trust people , and this was causing problems in her relationships , both with family and friends . But , her mom knew to bring her to the Women ’ s Center , where she could receive specialized trauma therapy .
Once in therapy , Hailey learned how trauma impacts the brain and body , and she no longer felt so alone . She slowly began to trust her therapist , who helped her learn , and practice , healthy coping skills . Through these efforts , she was finally able to reduce her symptoms , which allowed for her to emotionally regulate and finally feel safe enough to allow family and friends in , slowly building her support system . Through a lot of diligent work in therapy , Hailey eventually successfully achieved all of her therapy goals , explaining how she feels more control of her life . She had found her voice , and felt confident to go out into the world , advocating for herself and her needs .
At the last counseling session , Hailey was talking about how much she really appreciated the help she had received at The Women ’ s Center , saying how different she is , and how different her life is now . Her therapist validated her hard work and praised her strength . As she and her therapist said their final goodbyes , Hailey told her therapist : “ I ’ m going to miss coming here .”
* Name changed for purposes of confidentiality