Clinical Practice
CLC’s Clinical Practice provides long-term therapeutic support to children and young people ages 3-21 who are victims of crime or neglect or have been exposed to domestic violence. We recognize the value of therapy, especially during turbulent and trying times, which is why we started our Clinical Practice.
Justine
Justine was 11 years old when a school staff member lured into an empty classroom and sexually assaulted her. Thereafter, she was afraid to go to school and frequently missed classes, lowering her grades significantly. Despite transferring to a new school, Justine’s fears persisted. She also had frequent intrusive thoughts and memories, as well as nightmares. Justine also developed an eating disorder.
Once Justine began weekly trauma-focused psychotherapy at BCTS, her symptoms began to improve. She learned techniques to manage her fears of going to school and her avoidance of eating. After several months of both Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy, Justine’s symptoms of posttraumatic stress declined to subclinical levels, her grades significantly improved, and she no longer engaged in disordered eating.
Justine was also able to deliver a powerful Victim Impact Statement in court after the perpetrator accepted a plea deal. She described the experience of writing and delivering the statement as empowering. Justine is now in the process of applying to specialized high schools and is a starting player on her school’s basketball and volleyball teams.