Shelby

Shelby was a childhood sexual abuse survivor. When she started counseling at the age of five, like many children who’ve experienced trauma, she was fearful of unfamiliar environments. At her first visit to The Women’s Center, she hid under a table in the lobby, refusing to leave her parents’ side. Her therapist spent that first appointment just visiting with her and her parents in the lobby, helping Shelby feel comfortable and safe. As sessions progressed, she began to make eye contact with her therapist and eventually left her safe “hiding” space under the table for the children’s play therapy room.

Over the course of two years, Shelby found healing through art therapy. Her confidence grew, and she eventually found the courage to testify against her perpetrator. Her testimony was instrumental in a conviction and subsequent incarceration.

Two years after she began, Shelby completed therapy a happy little girl, so different than the one who first hid under the table.