Abalina is a 41-year-old single mother. She was referred to counseling by the Anti-Human Trafficking program after feeling anxious, worried, and depressed due to being unemployed and having to support her 8-year-old daughter.
Abalina currently lives in the Anti-Human Trafficking program’s housing and receives resources and services as needed. She feels “hopeless” due to not being able to find a job and not having transportation. Her therapist encouraged Abalina to continue to do job searches and apply to at least one job per week. Her therapist provided active listening and validation of feelings during weekly therapy sessions via telehealth.
During therapy Abalina engaged in processing current thoughts and feelings toward her traumatic human trafficking experience with her therapist. The therapist provided cognitive-behavioral therapy and introduced her to new coping strategies for anxiety-like breathing techniques. Together, we developed a treatment plan that outlined Abalina’s goals and objectives to help her ameliorate her life a step at a time.
After a few months of therapy, Abalina has identified triggers of anxiety and depression and has learned how to manage these triggers by using coping skills and techniques introduced in therapy. Abalina continues to search for a full-time job and appreciates the support that Family Counseling Center and the Anti-Human Trafficking program has given her.