After years of being exposed to domestic violence, 11-year-old Liana* witnessed her father stabbing her mother. On that day, Liana bravely tried to save her mom by calling 911, but her mother didn’t survive. Liana’s father was arrested, and Liana was sent to live with her maternal aunt. Liana was plagued by nightmares, sadness, and feelings of guilt about not being able to save her mother. That’s when Liana was referred to NYCC and her healing began.

Liana’s caring therapist at NYCC started by helping her to process the incident itself, as well as the grief of losing her mother. Thanks to therapy, Liana felt reassured that her painful feelings were a normal part of the grieving process. Her first breakthrough came through imaginative play therapy. Now Liana always enters NYCC with a huge smile, happy to see her therapist. Liana feels safe at NYCC and is gradually beginning to open up. One of her favorite activities is using the sand tray to express her emotions. Liana has already shown great improvement since beginning treatment and can count on NYCC for free therapy for as long as she needs it.

Juan* is a six-year-old child who migrated from Central America to New York with his family. Prior to fleeing their home country, Juan’s family consistently experienced harassment by military officers. On one occasion, Juan’s father was kidnapped and tortured for several days. During their treacherous journey, Juan’s parents were assaulted by military personnel in front of Juan. After crossing the border, Juan was temporarily separated from his family in a detention center before being reunited and moving to New York City. After these traumatic experiences, Juan was unable to sleep, had frequent nightmares, became easily agitated and upset in the presence of any uniformed officers or when his parents were out of his sight.

Juan was referred to NYCC for trauma-focused therapy with a bilingual therapist. Juan has learned coping skills and is now able to separate from his parents without distress. He has become more talkative with his family, is making friends at school and is adjusting well to life in New York. At NYCC, Juan will continue to process his difficult experiences and receive caring support for as long as is needed.

James* is 17 years old and has a long history of being physically and verbally abused by his stepfather. When he was 15, James’ stepfather attacked him so violently that Child Protective Services was called to help James obtain an order of protection.

When James first came to NYCC, he was having difficulty concentrating in school and was experiencing debilitating flashbacks about the abuse. Given his traumatic past, James also had difficulty trusting others.

James soon learned that at NYCC he had a secure space and a supportive therapist who would help him feel safe again. James was able to process his trauma, work towards trusting others again and heal. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, James was able to continue his therapy with NYCC virtually while he completed his senior year of high school. He graduated with honors last spring. James’ flashbacks have stopped, and he is excelling at the prestigious New York City college where he now dorms and is making plans for the future.