Intermountain Specialized Abuse Treatment Center

“Samantha” is a 10 year-old female who came to therapy as a result of sexual abuse by a male relative. Her mother reported that Samantha began having behavioral problems at school last year. She also started having nightmares and other unexplained fears. Samantha was normally a very outgoing and fun-loving child, so these behaviors were unusual and concerning to her mother. Samantha did not feel safe to disclose the sexual abuse because the abuser had threatened her not to tell. After the abuse was finally discovered, Samantha continued to have nightmares and anxiety. She worried that the abuser might hurt her or her little sister. Samantha’s mother brought her to ISAT for help. Since starting therapy Samantha is beginning to settle down at home and at school. The nightmares have subsided and her anxiety has decreased. Samantha’s goals in therapy are focused on building her self-esteem, identifying her feelings and expressing them in healthy ways, learning safety skills for the future, and ultimately building a support system through which she can continue to heal and move forward with her life. Samantha would not have the opportunity to accomplish these goals if it weren’t for donations from generous community individuals. There are so many children who could benefit from services at ISAT, but resources and funding are stretched thin. Families like Samantha’s are helped every day due to the generosity and caring of others.   

“Emily” is an adult female who was sexually abused as a child by her biological father. She had some limited therapy when she was younger, but was not able to continue treatment services due to financial problems her family experienced. As a result, Emily was not able to resolve the issues surrounding the abuse and continued to act and feel like a victim. She has been in several violent relationships and also became involved with drugs and alcohol to try to deal with her emotional pain. Emily has two young children and is a single parent. Her current relationship was an emotional roller coaster, but she was afraid to be on her own, so she put up with continual physical and emotional abuse. Emily came to ISAT at the recommendation of a church leader. As a single parent with a part-time job, she was unable to pay for treatment, but was in desperate need of help. If not for the funding from generous donors, ISAT would not be able to help individuals like Emily. Now, for the first time in her life, Emily has hope for a better future. She has accessed resources in the community to be able to go back to school. She has worked hard to build herself up and build a support network. She is focused on maintaining a safe and calm environment for her children and is becoming empowered and assertive in her relationship. Emily is beginning to see that she is a worthwhile person and that she deserves to be happy.