It has been some time since I have added anything to TreeHouse.com. However, there has been a wonderful reason for my absence. In November, I was blessed to be given the opportunity to become the Director of The HEART Program for Community Partners of Dallas. Community Partners of Dallas is a wonderful non-profit organization that provides several programs and many services to the abused and neglected children of Dallas County (www.cpdtx.org). The HEART program offers FREE group counseling to children who are survivors of sexual abuse and their non-offending family members.

I had been contracting as a therapist for one of the HEART program groups for several months, and just fell in love with the program. The opportunity to direct the program and lead a group of therapist in helping these families was so phenomenal to me, and I love every second of it.

Quite often, we only get the pleasure of spending a few months with each of our families, but in that time, something miraculous commonly happens. Parents are able to get past their immediate defensive denial of the abuse, begin to see things in a new way, and learn how to help their children grow into strong healthy kiddos.  Children frequently come to us reluctant to share.  Thru therapy, they learn to process the abuse and, in later sessions, often help other children share their own experiences.  By their closing dates, we are often blessed to see nurturing families and children with a renewed confidence.

Humans are miraculous and resilient beings, able to take circumstances of the worst kind and find hope and healing.  While the media may portray counseling as being a never-ending activity, it doesn’t have to be that way. A family can demonstrate vast improvement in, as little as, 3 short months. Trauma doesn’t have to follow you or your children for the rest of their lives, there is recovery. Sometimes it is just a phone call and a few months away.

H-Hope

E-Encouragement

A-and

R-Recovery

T-Treatment