Kimberly opened her heart and home to Katrina in 2015. Katrina was in foster care and desperately searching for safety and stability after experiencing multiple traumatic events in her home. Throughout their years together, Kimberly and Katrina have worked hard to build a healthy mother-daughter bond. And Katrina has worked hard to find healing.
“My goal is to work through my traumatic past and process pieces of my life,” said Katrina.
DePaul’s counseling services are guiding Katrina as she accomplishes that goal. Her counseling sessions with clinician Carmelita have given her comfort, connection, and the strength to speak openly about her hurt so she can heal.
“My experience has been really good with it,” said Katrina. “I am learning how to understand my feelings and communicate them.”
The program has had a positive impact not only on Katrina, but also on the entire family.
“There’s involvement with all of us,” said Kimberly. “It’s helping Katrina but also helping us as a family unit navigate things together.”
As a foster and adoptive mother, Kimberly sees how important it is to seek support when needed. She hopes other families in their position know that asking for help is not something to be ashamed of, but something to be proud of instead.
“I’m a single, working mom with kids at home and a lot of worries,” said Kimberly. “This has been tremendously helpful taking some of that pressure off.”
Today, Katrina attends college, working toward a nursing degree with a minor in sign language. She hopes to become a pediatric nurse. And she counts on her regular counseling sessions to keep her progressing and moving forward to a future full of hope and healing.