When her ex-boyfriend became violent toward her, Raven knew she needed to protect herself. Her call to the police for a restraining order helped her feel safe, but never expected to find healing and support beyond the report.

A few days after calling the police, Raven was contacted by PorchLight Family Justice Center, a partner of Jefferson Center who brings together counseling, support and other resources for victims of violence, trafficking and abuse. She was first connected with Ariana, who provided legal support, including filing paperwork, attending court with Raven, and supporting her as she faced her ex-boyfriend.

What Raven didn’t expect was the continued support to help her process the trauma caused by domestic violence. She was surprised to receive a follow-up call from Rachel, a therapist with Jefferson Center. From the first phone call, Raven knew she had found someone who was going to help her. With Rachel, she found a place to be real, safe, and to start healing.

“Rachel is a person who cares. I had experiences before with providers who didn’t seem to truly care. It’s not that way with Rachel. I don’t have to fear what I tell her, because I know she truly cares.”

Raven’s healing has included the journey of rediscovering her roots. Coming from a military father and a Korean mother where emotions, apologies, and traumas were kept silent, Raven worked together with her therapist to better connect with her family and culture. This included finding space to be real with her mom, bringing up how her upbringing has affected her healing process and wanting to be more open when challenges arise in life.

She has also found incredible hope in shamanism and her spirituality. The time Raven spends connecting with nature and exploring her beliefs has led her to a place where she better accepts and loves herself while also extending this to others.

A year later, Raven reflects on her journey, recognizing that if we had reached out a year ago, she would not have been ready to tell her story. But with the help of Rachel and her healing practices, her confidence is evident, knowing her story can be the one to bring hope to another person. She is not afraid to say that the journey is not easy, sometimes it’s ugly and she questions how she made it here. In these moments, she can look back at her life and journey, knowing she survives for herself and for others.

“Collectively we are amazing and that’s how the world is supposed to work. If we get back to that, it’ll be better for everyone.”