Lucia was suffering from extreme trauma that was left untreated for many years. She bravely sought help from CCCTX to address her mental health. With the support and guidance from her CCCTX counselor, she has been able to process her trauma. She is already experiencing the benefits – she is finding herself again and is able to build relationships with others and enjoy her life with dignity. Read her personal testimony below.

My name is Lucia, and I am from Guatemala. I am a counseling patient at Catholic Charities of Central Texas. For a long time during my childhood and adolescence, I suffered from sexual abuse by my biological father. I never talked to anyone about this and came to think that I would die with the secret. I felt so much shame and guilt for not having said anything at that time, that I came to hate myself and felt like there was no reason to live. I hated myself, I hated the world, I hated everyone. There was so much pain, resentment, and suffering in silence that I wanted to scream, to tell; but I couldn’t. My temper with others was increasingly intolerable. I had so much anger inside me that I just wanted to make others feel the same. I was filled with so much bitterness and sadness that I could not see beyond what God and life gave me to enjoy. I thought that by keeping everything quiet I could continue with my life as if nothing had happened, but the truth is that my actions said otherwise. I lost my trust in others and thought everyone was out to get me. I distanced myself so much from God that I became angry with him. When I realized that my attitude was unbearable, I decided it was time to seek help, change, and finally talk about what was tormenting me so much. The first few times I tried, I couldn’t; I was overcome by fear and anxiety, so I remained silent. Finally, I felt like I could no longer bear it. This is when I accepted the help of my counselor at Catholic Charities. After many sessions, with my therapist’s support and guidance, and with the help of God, I was able to process my trauma and start a new life free of disturbing emotions and thoughts. Today I can affirm that I have achieved it. I am so happy with the new “me”…she is so happy, so fun, so joyful, grateful, and full of good positive energies that make my life more bearable and enjoyable. I have learned and continue to learn to deal with my negative thoughts so that they do not influence my life. I believe that with the right help, it is possible to overcome our experiences of pain and hurt.