Rachel came to the Domestic Violence Support Center (DVSC) when she was ready to leave her abusive relationship of 21 years. At age 50, she used the counseling services at the DVSC to process years of abuse and traumatic memories, work through grief at the loss of opportunity her abusive relationship had cost her, and work on strategies to create a support system for herself with people who would help her heal. Although it was not originally her goal, after attending counseling for 4 months, Rachel realized that she had used alcohol to combat trauma, and she was able to give up alcohol as an unhealthy coping mechanism. After so many years of feeling alone and unsupported, Rachel makes her counseling sessions a priority, arriving 15 minutes early to “soak up the good energy” in the waiting room.
August 9, 2017