Clinician and Latino Coalition
Coordinator
I’ve worked with PARTNERS for about 4 years now in various
capacities and have enjoyed them all. But I never realized the true
impact of PARTNERS until I became a therapist for the Clinical Care
Center. In this capacity, I have been able to help children and
families who have been affected by events that no child should ever
experience. It’s not the easiest job, and at times you are tested
much more than in other settings. However, to see a child who
survived abuse laugh loudly and freely whereas before she could
barely look you in the eye, solidifies my commitment to PARTNERS
and to ensuring that the Queens community is aware of the services
we provide.
One of my clients, Marianela, exemplifies the need of PARTNERS in
the community. She is a 13-year-old girl of Latino descent, who had
come to the country for only one year. Marianela was reunited
with her mother after 8 years of separation and her mother saving
for her journey. Shortly after Marianela arrived in New York, she
was sexually abused by a family friend on multiple occasions.
Instead of keeping quiet when she found out, Marianela’s mother
pursued legal action. In a community where abuse is still taboo
subject, both Marianela and her mother have endured negative
comments and rejection. They arrived to PARTNERS with feelings of
sadness, guilt, and fear, which are common to many of the clients
seen and trauma survivors in general.
In session, the work has concentrated thus far on helping both
mother and daughter recognize the multitude of emotions they have
been experiencing and on changing the negative thoughts about
themselves that occurred as a result of the trauma. Both were
resistant at first, as for trauma survivors it is all too common to
want to forget about the event and the emotional pain. Clients at
PARTNERS are taught that avoidance is not the way to cope with
trauma as it prevents an individual from beginning and completing
the healing process. Marianela and her mother slowly have begun to
open up about themselves. Both feel guilt about the event;
Marianela for “causing problems” and her mother for the emotional
distress her daughter has felt. But they have started and
continued the process to coping with and changing the negative
thoughts about themselves. They are committed to their therapy
sessions and make every effort to come in week after week. Sharing
their stories with a stranger has not been easy for them, but they
have done it thanks to my efforts in engaging them with a cultural
sensitivity particular to their needs, with their help of
course.
Marianela and her mother are only one of hundreds of families that
have been or are being treated by PARTNERS. I look forward to the
time when they can join the many graduates of the program who have
used the skills to learn how to effectively cope with trauma and
continue to use them in these skill in their daily lives.