She was a good student with a stable home, but in one night Carissa’s* reality changed. Her 
home caught on fire, leaving her family homeless and needing to rebuild their lives from scratch. The trauma of the fire combined with the stress of her family’s financial situation left Carissa struggling with severe anxiety and chronic panic attacks. Finding it difficult to concentrate at school with her intense anxiety, Carissa’s grades began to fall.
Carissa began seeing an ACS therapist on her school campus. She found that meeting with a professional on a weekly basis was extremely helpful. Her therapist worked with her to develop coping skills to manage the panic attacks that were triggered by memories of the fire. The ACS therapist also collaborated with Carissa’s academic guidance counselor to ensure that her teachers understood what was happening and could support her in class. The ACS therapist met with Carissa’s mother, who also experienced anxiety, and was able to provide her mother with resources to find her own therapist.
Supporters like you made it possible for Carissa to access the support she desperately needed to move past such a traumatic experience.
*Name has been changed to protect identity of client.