Blog Post
CAPSEA and A window between worlds
By Billie Jo Weyant
Since the organization’s inception in 1977, CAPSEA’s commitment to providing accessible, confidential and trauma-informed services to its community has never wavered. Our victim service agency and it’s dedicated staff work tirelessly to ensure our clients continually receive the highest quality, most effective care. To achieve that goal, we are always looking for new counseling programs and training opportunities for our team. When we were introduced to the A Window Between Worlds (AWBW) art counseling program, we immediately saw the benefits of a partnership.
After our AWBW training, we were able to seamlessly integrate the program into CAPSEA’s existing service offerings and provide our clients with an additional way to express themselves and work through their trauma.
One of the biggest benefits of the AWBW program has been the way that the hands-on, structured counseling sessions lets our clients safely and comfortably express themselves in a new and different way. Not only are we better able to communicate with them, but we’ve seen how the AWBW program can also open up lines of communication between children, parents, and other family members.
Recovering from trauma is not easy – and finding the words to begin healing can be one of the most challenging parts of the process. AWBW remove that pressure and lets our clients speak through the art they create.
In addition to the individual client benefits, AWBW has also introduced the opportunity for CAPSEA to host classroom and community-wide art counseling events, promoting healing to vulnerable groups who may not be in a position to visit our center. AWBW’s program offerings are not limited to certain spaces or formats, so CAPSEA is able to cast a much wider net when trying to reach out to people who may need our help.
When CAPSEA committed to its trauma-informed approach all of those years ago, we acknowledged the fact that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to dealing with trauma. Every client, every situation, must be handled uniquely. That is why it is so important that we equip our staff with as many techniques and resources as possible.
By consistently adding programs like AWBW art counseling and Trauma Incident Reduction (TIR) Therapy to CAPSEA’s trauma-informed “toolbelt,” we demonstrate our commitment to serving our clients wherever they find themselves in their healing
journeys.
We look forward to our continued partnership with the A Window Between Worlds program and are incredibly grateful for the emotional breakthroughs that have already occurred as a direct result of it.