Mental Health Awareness Month: Hope & Healing at Rapha
May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
Rapha’s goal is to empower survivors of trauma with resources for mental health. In Joplin, MO, where Rapha is headquartered, we provide mental health counseling and community education and support through the Hope and Healing Center, established in 2020.
Ann Wolfe, MSW | Trauma Therapist in a mock therapy session with a portrayed client.
The mission of the Hope and Healing center is to provide trauma-focused therapy for child, teen, and adult survivors of a variety of traumas, including violence, sexual abuse, and trafficking, in order to promote lifelong hope and healing. Therapists at the Hope and Healing Center create individualized treatment plans to help clients heal from trauma, develop healthy coping skills, and set the foundation for a bright future.
Two sisters, Bree (age 5) and Jessica* (age 7), were involved in an investigation when their school reported their father for neglect. As the investigation continued, it was discovered that the girls’ father was exploiting them to pay his drug debts–trafficking them for sex.
Bree and Jessica were referred to Rapha International’s Hope and Healing Center for trauma therapy treatment. Bree was too afraid to talk about what had happened, but art and play therapy helped her open up to her therapist about the abuse. Jessica was able to engage in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and process her trauma through this evidence-based model.
Bree and Jessica needed professional and compassionate treatment to heal and to regain hope for a safe and happy future.
Bree and Jessica now live with their mother full time. Jessica plays basketball on a community team and Bree loves to dance. With the support of their mother and their therapist at the Hope and Healing Center, the girls bravely told their story in court and their father was sentenced to prison for his crimes. They are healing, day by day, and discovering life outside the bounds of abuse and exploitation.
*names of clients are changed to protect confidentiality and privacy.
For survivors of sexual abuse and trauma to successfully move forward in their healing journey, coping skills provided by trauma-informed counselors are needed, as well as continuous monitoring throughout the process that is unique for each child and adult. Rapha’s Hope and Healing Center is committed to offering these resources and fighting human trafficking, abuse, and sexual exploitation by investing in people through our mental health services.
These services are scarce in Southwest Missouri, and Rapha is excited to work alongside other local organizations to fill the need. Investing in people–especially those who have already experienced trauma–is the best way to prevent and combat human trafficking in any community.