Dec 14 2011
Fire Refines Gold, and Challenges Refine Us
Dominique D. Barritt, LMHC
Why did I become a therapist? I feel like there was never anything else I could have ever been. I tried another career path, but it never felt right. Five minutes into my first psychology class, I thought, “Oh, this is what I’m supposed to be doing!” I guess you could say that my therapeutic specialty is split into two parts. I became a therapist with the intent of focusing solely on treating sexual trauma, domestic violence and PTSD (which is where I placed an emphasis during my internship). However, I have unexpectedly developed a second specialty in working with Transgender clients, due to the word-of-mouth support of my clients dealing with this issue.
How do I treat victims of sexual trauma/violence? These survivors often need both practical and emotional assistance. First of all, I teach some basic breathing techniques and grounding to help them to self soothe as they go through the difficult process of recovery. Next, I often go through some Psychoeducational information about how traumatic memories/flashbacks are created and recalled. Helping the survivor learn to advocate for herself/himself as she or he is going through the court system is vital; as frequently, people question their honesty and integrity.
