National Counseling Month: Why Healing 4 Change is Important
For National Counseling Month, Unity 4 Orphans is highlighting why Healing 4 Change is a crucial program to help vulnerable children heal from trauma.
We believe in a holistic approach to caring for children who have experienced abandonment and abuse and are growing up in unstable conditions. Over 1,000 children are receiving counseling thanks to our dedicated partners in multiple countries and locations, helping them reach their full potential, and that number is steadily increasing.
Healing 4 Change Provides Counseling to Raise Children’s Self-Esteem
Childhood trauma affects nearly half of American children, a number that increases in the countries we serve because resources are scarce and families live at or below the poverty line. Healing 4 Change began in Nicaragua five years ago, where we brought our first counselor on staff to work with the students in our ESL program.
My greatest motivator is the results we get to see. When the children have learning challenges, I assess their needs and give them techniques. I work closely with their teachers and parents. Seeing their results brings me fulfillment and motivates me to believe that we’re an agent of change in this place.
–Greyddyn, Program Counselor in Miramar, Nicaragua
Thanks to her compassion and dedication, Greyddyn has helped multiple children understand their feelings, create a healthier self-image, and build self-esteem. Many have gone on to become bilingual, attend university, and even return to our ESL program as interns and teachers. With an intimate understanding of the challenges children face, program counselors like Greyddyn and teaching interns like Yanelis are helping children learn and thrive.
Program Counselors Give Children a Vision for Healthier Relationships
In Mexico, we continue to see children at the orphanages benefiting from the careful, loving guidance of Program Counselor Yoly. Her unique combination of helping kids recognize and understand their feelings and loving them like a surrogate grandmother is changing the lives of abandoned and abused children.
The challenge with the kids is they’re stuck in the past and the present, so we want to show them how God can change their future. It’s important to always discipline with love, give them rules, and be patient. I tell them this reality is temporary, but God will give them a better future.
–Yoly, Program Counselor in Tijuana, Mexico
Our Mexico team attended a trauma training together, opening doors to an increased understanding of how to work with vulnerable children and providing them with the tools to help them heal. Being able to identify their feelings, know they are valid, and work through them empowers children to build healthy self-esteem and believe in a brighter future.
Counseling Provides Healing and Hope to Vulnerable Children
Treating mental health problems early can help reduce problems at home and in school, and encourage healthy development into adulthood. Our goal is to provide early intervention, helping each child feel seen and important. In building their belief in their potential, they are more likely to stay in school, receive higher grades, and have more doors open to them that secure brighter futures.
We want to set the trajectory for a flourishing life. We want that Healing 4 Change to happen to our teachers and in-country directors, and for the orphanages and all the children that want to step into healing.
–Joe Brandi, Founder
This successful model is now being replicated in the other countries where we serve, and we look forward to bringing psychological intervention and support to more children than ever in 2024 through Healing 4 Change. In recognition of National Counseling Month, we invite you to invest in the emotional and mental well-being of the children in our programs.
