Providing both individual and group counseling to support the journey from victim to survivor to thriver
Bringing Hope & Healing to Victims
Research has shown that sexual abuse can result in long-term detrimental effects — both physical and psychological — unless victims receive early and effective therapeutic intervention. Often, however, these resources and programs are scarce and expensive.
To fill this void, SungateKids began offering a support group for adolescent girls in 2009. Now, these services have grown to include a full range of groups and individual treatment options for child victims of abuse and their non-offending family members, including:
- Individual treatment using evidence-based, trauma-informed therapeutic modalities
- Therapeutic psycho-educational support groups for victims ages 4–18
- Companion psycho-educational and therapeutic support groups for non-offending parents/caregivers
- Therapeutic psycho-educational support groups for victims’ siblings who need additional support
Our Process and Difference
Providing Solutions and Success Through Trauma-Informed Treatment
Finding the right treatment, and the right treatment provider, can be difficult. SungateKids helps make this process easier. Our providers are trained in the following modalities, among others:
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
This integrative psychotherapy approach has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR mimics what occurs naturally during dreaming or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Therefore, EMDR can be thought of as a physiologically-based therapy that helps a person see disturbing material in a new and less distressing way. As EMDR is a mental health intervention, it should only be offered by properly trained and licensed mental health clinicians.
Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI)
CFTSI is a brief 5-8 session early intervention model for children and their caregivers. This model is based on a family strengthening approach and works to increase communication between children and their caregivers. This model works to increase support for children impacted by trauma, enforces the parent as the support person for the child to turn to, and reduces the mystery for parents about what a child is feeling after a traumatic event. The main goal of CFTSI is to help parents and children manage emotional symptoms that are a result of trauma more effectively. This intervention also works to bridge the gap between acute stress response/crisis intervention and long-term treatment.
Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
A form of cognitive behavioral therapy, TF-CBT focuses on the emotional and mental health needs of those who are victims of trauma, abuse or grief — especially children and adolescents. In clinical trials, TF-CBT has repeatedly shown itself to be an effective treatment for children and non-offending family members or caregivers to help recover from the trauma of sexual abuse and is the preferred therapeutic modality recommended by the National Children’s Alliance, SungateKids’ accrediting body.
Healing Together Through Individual and Group Therapy
The Therapeutic Support Program providers work with victims in an individual setting by providing an open, supportive, and confidential environment to address issues and guide clients as they work towards change.
Individual counseling can help to:
- Gradually weaken the negative emotions associated with a traumatic event
- Reclaim a sense of personal power after experiencing trauma, including sexual assault
- Develop new perspectives and life skills
- Deal with distorted and maladaptive thought patterns and beliefs that can leave victims feeling ‘stuck’
- Improve the quality of relationships by identifying and enhancing personal strengths
Group therapy helps our clients create a community of support. Typically, groups consist of 5–15 people and 1–2 therapists. Participants may be in different stages of the healing process, which helps members connect with people further down the road to recovery and instills hope for the future.
Group therapy can help participants to:
- Understand that they are not alone in facing issues of sexual assault and trauma in their family
- Provide psychoeducation about abuse and trauma
- Help strengthen boundaries and assess healthy versus unhealthy relationship patterns
- Have a safe-haven in which to practice behaviors or actions with safety, security and support of the group
Our therapists are trained in administering trauma assessments. Trauma assessments are tools to help our therapists understand and assess what feelings a child may be having on the inside and what their parents or caregivers are observing on the outside:
Assessment tools used include, but are not limited to:
- The Harborview
- Trauma Symptoms Checklist for Children- TSCC
- Trauma Symptoms Checklist for Young Children- TSCYC
- Childhood Sexual Behavior Inventory- CSBI
These assessment tools are NOT used to determine whether or not abuse occurred, nor are they used to diagnose a child.
Learn More About SungateKids’ Therapeutic Support Program
SungateKids groups can help you and your child take that first step toward healing and recovering, surviving and thriving.
Sessions will run on Tuesdays from 5:00-7:30pm . If you’re interested in a future group contact Hannah.Fisher-Tachouet@SungateKids.org
October 22nd – December 17th in 2024
February 4th – April 8th in 2025
September 9th – November 4th in 2025
