Healing Journey Inc.

For those who have suffered abuse can find safety and empowerment through counseling, mentoring and life skills. Victims receive the tools to move forward to survivors that thrive. Every person has the right to heal on their journey. Our children and youth have the right to live a life without violence in their homes, schools. We strive that every person who attends our agency will find their journey to healing.

The Women's Empowerment Program is a peer driven support group that works directly with women who have been victims of sexual assault or domestic violence. Each week the women meet and learn about how to deal with their abuse. We provide coping skills and mentoring which enables them to return to work or enroll back to school. The program has been very successful in assisting these women on learning new ways of letting go of their past. Our other programs work directly with children and youth who have been victims of child abuse of all forms. They are referred by local counseling agencies, Division of Child and Safety, CASA, Victim Services Division and some are referred by their own foster parents. This has been a program that has touched our hearts in so many ways. The children and youth who attend at first come broken and afraid to speak their voice. They attend each week for two hours and are placed in their support groups. We also have peer mentors around their own age who have been through the same trauma and trained with us as peer mentors. They learn so much from each other, that it is amazing to see the personal growth of our youth. We are informed that grades go up, self-esteem returns and they enjoy being a part of a group of youth who have overcome the same issues they might have. By being part of this journey, we are giving our children and youth an opportunity to be come productive citizens that give back.

Testimonials

Heather was a U.S. Marine 6 years ago when she became of victim of domestic violence from her then husband. She had just given birth 2 months prior to her being physically beaten by her husband. She knew she was in danger as her new born baby so she ran from her home on base to seek help. It was then that Child protection services removed her baby from her until she was able to get help. He as arrested and left the base. He was not a Marine. She sought help from our agency and started her support groups. Every week she attended until she proved to CPS that she could get her baby back. Not only did she get custody of her baby but of her two other daughters that still lived in Mississippi. They all came to live with their mother in Yuma AZ. Heather brought her daughters to their groups to receive services. Her 11 year old daughter at that time was angry and upset that her mom had left them and now she wanted them. Heather left her husband and only focused on her relationship with her children. At our agency her daughters began to slowly speak up and express their fer of their mother leaving them or being killed by this man. Now three years later, her daughter is now 14 and is one of our peer mentors who speaks to other youth about living in a home where there is domestic violence. She tells them its' not their fault and that they can move forward. She is such a strong young lady who plays in band and gets wonderful grades but she never misses the support groups. She does her best to come and mentor other young girls who are going through the same fear that she once had. Mother and daughters are doing wonderful. Heather is s U.S. Veteran and speaks to other women about overcoming abuse and moving forward. Last October in Yuma domestic violence vigil, mother and daughter both spoke about what it is to live in a home where their is abuse, but also spoke about breaking free!!