Letter from the CEO: Fall 2023
Chief Executive Officer
Since completing my Master’s degree in Professional Counseling in 2012, I have wanted to attend the American Association of Christian Counselors Conference. This year it was held in Nashville, so not only was it close by, but my daughter lives there – double win! It did not disappoint! One of the many moments of clarity came as I once again realized that what we equate for “training” is more likely an “awareness”, while true training requires time, expertise, and a willingness to go deep into the subject matter. I think another hallmark of effective training is that those who have significant experience in the topic also benefit!
Another recent event in which our WellHouse Child team participated was a 3-day event on minor sex trafficking led by Jeanne Allert with the Institute of Shelter Care. It was true training and very impactful!
All of this has challenged me to lead The WellHouse to being a better resource for effective training. This includes training agencies who may not focus solely on trafficking survivors, but they are still serving them among their abused and neglected children, their domestic violence victims, and those they are treating for substance use. Already, through a MOU process, we mentor new and sometimes existing organizations as they serve trafficked people. We want to strengthen the ability to serve as the population of sex trafficked survivors are diverse, gifted individuals who are deserving of the best we can offer.
While force, fraud, and coercion are elements that apply to the legal definition of human trafficking of adult victims, if a person under 19 has been involved, willingly or not, in a commercial sex act, it is human trafficking! By the way, the term “willing” is questionable as the majority of survivors were first victimized in childhood and came from non-protective families which led to their vulnerability for being trafficked.
Traffickers are skilled in identifying those who are most vulnerable and know how to immediately begin building a trauma bond. They know that victims are starving for belonging and love, and by showing affection, a bond is formed. Then, cruelly, they withdraw the affection or only show it randomly, all wrapped in a confusion of violence. Victims now possess a mentality of wanting to do whatever it takes to please this person, to receive the affection again. This trauma bond explains why many avoid the offer of recovery and restoration, as this traumatic bond has been their adaptive response for so long.
But, there is hope! Treatment involves love, safety, and trust all in an environment that shows the survivors that they belong, have dignity, and there is justice for their hurts. Treatment is rarely easy! The wide array of issues demands adequate treatment, and we have found at The WellHouse that it must be bathed in prayer, even if the survivor is not aware that they are being prayed for. As far as a therapeutic approach, one size does not fit all and addressing external behaviors is not very effective. We must be able to get to the internal behaviors such as their thought life, self-talk, and issues of the heart as we help them create a very different worldview. This is a good treatment plan for all of us!
Not only is The WellHouse connected to those who can provide adequate training, we are willing to be the link, provide training, and mentor. Our desire is that we make and receive referrals with those in whom we can have confidence that we are likeminded, as we serve a population of people who have put their trust in us to stand in the gap for them as they bravely walk the journey of healing.
More to come on training offers soon!