SAY San Diego
In honor of Domestic Violence Month, I’d like to give thanks to SAY San Diego for giving me the opportunity to partake in the treatment of learning healthy boundaries with Andria (my instructor). A lot of us grow up with domestic violence and then become a part of domestic violence as adults. We go from being the children of victims to the person being assaulted. And although the easy thing to say is “just get out,” our childhood trauma binds us to a life that we are accustomed to. The lack of confidence and self-worth crushes our spirit.
My SAY San Diego Instructor Andria gives me the comfort to speak. She allows me to share my most inner thoughts, (most painful thoughts); and with the material provided by SAY San Diego, she allows me to get to the root of my downfalls and understand why my past has always lead me to unhealthy relationships. It’s like being tied up in bondage. The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy program gives me the healing and encouragement and hope for an amplified successful future. The program encourages me to find self-worth and gives me the confidence of setting boundaries with personal relationships, family, and work life.
Domestic violence is not only physical, it is also mental. Sometimes the mental abuse is more destructive. It can eat at you from the inside out, causing more pain than physical abuse. Andria encourages me to have the self-confidence to put me and my happiness first. I’ve learned to walk away when I need to because it is okay to do so.
SAY San Diego has been key in helping me build my confidence and self-worth. The staff has encouraged me to make healthy choices regardless of my cultural belief that “things will be better tomorrow.” I used to fear tomorrow.
Thank you, SAY San Diego and Andria for helping me find the happy me, and especially for giving me the tools needed to overcome my past trauma. I am a proud to say that I am a survivor of many years of domestic violence (starting in childhood). Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of my healing process and helping me overcome my barriers of bondage.
SAY client, 36-year-old mother
