Therapist
I remember working with a 12 year old adolescent girl who was
sexually abused by a family member over several years. She
experienced recurrent and intrusive distressing recollections of
the abuse, including images, thoughts and perceptions.
The adolescent’s flashbacks or vivid memories were triggered by
internal and external cues (i.e., specific music, TV shows, and
smells) and she responded by engaging in self-injurious behaviors
or aggression towards others.
Using PARTNERS’ techniques, this adolescent learned to regulate her
affect by using relaxation and problem solving skills and by
reconstructing her maladaptive thoughts.
She has been able to embrace the social skills training and coping
tools learned and incorporate it into her daily life to deal with
everyday stressors.
Towards discharge from PARTNERS, her flashbacks and level of
agitation significantly reduced. Her external triggers, which
led to aggressive outbursts or vivid memories in the past, were
better tolerated. Thanks to PARTNERS, this young lady no longer
lives in the past and she looks ahead towards a positive
future.
Amanda Lopez is a clinical psychologist who currently works with a
diverse population of emotionally disturbed children and
adolescents from the inner city area of NY. She says “I had the
pleasure of participating and supporting the PARTNERS since
2005.” She incorporates what she learned at PARTNERS in her
daily job: “In my work I have incorporated the unique treatment
model of the PARTNERS into my treatment sessions to successfully
address symptoms related to Mood Disorders and Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD) such as intense fear, flashbacks, night terrors,
agitation, and hypervigilance.”