Amy loved visiting her grandparents. A couple of times a year, she and her parents took car trips from Tampa to Georgia to spend time with them. Amy liked being in a new place and spending time with her family.

Everything changed when she was 8.

One day when she and her grandfather were the only people in the house, he touched her in ways she knew were bad. And he swore her to secrecy. She didn't say anything, hoping he would never do it again. But the assaults continued on additional visits.

She finally told her parents.

Knowing Amy needed help, her parents contacted the Corbett Trauma Center at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.

On her first visit, her therapist, Serra, sat with Amy and did an evaluation. Though Amy struggled to talk about what had happened to her, Serra was able to determine that Amy reported 14 symptoms on the Trauma Symptom Inventory.

As they met each week, Serra worked with Amy and her mother, Holly, to understand Amy's response to the trauma and find ways of managing her anxiety symptoms. They explored a number of techniques Amy could use when she was feeling scared or anxious, and found she really liked practicing deep breathing.

Amy grandfather's crime had been reported. He was arrested and is now serving time in prison. But it had been a long time since Amy had seen her grandmother. Amy missed her and wanted to attend a family gathering in Georgia. Serra worked with Amy to reduce her anxiety and fear about going to the house where her grandfather used to live.

Amy has now made multiple trips to see her grandmother, and she reports no trauma symptoms when she is there. When asked what the best part of therapy was, Amy replies, "the therapist!"

Your support of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay allows children like Amy to connect to a therapist who is able to provide specialized care to children who have experienced emotional distress due to sexual assault, neglect, domestic violence or other traumatic events. If you're interested in learning more about how the Crisis Center helps children facing trauma and other crisis situations, be certain to take a Crisis Center tour.