Colonial Boulevard continuous flow intersection opens Sunday in Fort MyersSun and clouds with a stray shower possible
FORT MYERS Colonial Boulevard continuous flow intersection opens Sunday in Fort Myers Drivers along Interstate 75 near Colonial Boulevard can expect changes soon.
the weather authority Sun and clouds with a stray shower possible The Weather Authority says sun and clouds overhead will lead to another day with above-average temperatures.
FORT MYERS LCSO offering youth boxing program The Lee County Sheriff’s Office youth boxing program is your kid’s golden ticket to mastering the art of self-defense.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man speaks on helping apprehend armed 13-year-old The man who helped apprehend an armed 13-year-old spoke on the incident.
NAPLES Naples Cars on Fifth event fuels $2M for local charity efforts For over two decades, car enthusiasts in Southwest Florida have gathered on Fifth Avenue in Naples.
MARCO ISLAND Caxambas Park boat ramp on Marco Island set to reopen Collier County announced the reopening of the Caxambas Park boat ramp on Marco Island.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Animal Shelter to host Puppy Bowl 3 ahead of big game Ahead of the big game on Sunday, Cape Coral Animal Shelter will be featuring its very own Puppy Bowl III.
FORT MYERS From the ballpark to the beach: the Minnesota Twins are back for Spring Training 1700 miles later the Twins truck is here and the team from Minnesota is ready to spend the next six weeks here in Fort Myers.
the weather authority Warm stretch continues throughout this weekend The Weather Authority says if you are a fan of the warmer weather, you are going to love this weekend.
SANIBEL Sanibel’s red tide raises health alerts and wildlife concerns With great weather in the forecast, it’s shaping up to be a perfect beach weekend. However, visitors to the barrier islands should exercise caution.
NAPLES Naples Automotive Experience raises funds for St. Matthew’s House The Naples Automotive Experience brought excitement and philanthropy to the community, raising money for St. Matthew’s House.
MATLACHA Little Pine Island bridge work causes delays, FDOT promises progress Construction on the Little Pine Island Bridge has narrowed traffic to one lane, causing significant delays for drivers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Support women’s heart health on National Wear Red Day The first Friday in February marks National Wear Red Day!
Ongoing repairs following Naples plane crash A deadly plane crash that occurred one year ago in Naples, Florida continues to impact lives in Southwest Florida. The tragic event involved two pilots who lost their lives on Interstate 75.
FORT MYERS Colonial Boulevard continuous flow intersection opens Sunday in Fort Myers Drivers along Interstate 75 near Colonial Boulevard can expect changes soon.
the weather authority Sun and clouds with a stray shower possible The Weather Authority says sun and clouds overhead will lead to another day with above-average temperatures.
FORT MYERS LCSO offering youth boxing program The Lee County Sheriff’s Office youth boxing program is your kid’s golden ticket to mastering the art of self-defense.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral man speaks on helping apprehend armed 13-year-old The man who helped apprehend an armed 13-year-old spoke on the incident.
NAPLES Naples Cars on Fifth event fuels $2M for local charity efforts For over two decades, car enthusiasts in Southwest Florida have gathered on Fifth Avenue in Naples.
MARCO ISLAND Caxambas Park boat ramp on Marco Island set to reopen Collier County announced the reopening of the Caxambas Park boat ramp on Marco Island.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral Animal Shelter to host Puppy Bowl 3 ahead of big game Ahead of the big game on Sunday, Cape Coral Animal Shelter will be featuring its very own Puppy Bowl III.
FORT MYERS From the ballpark to the beach: the Minnesota Twins are back for Spring Training 1700 miles later the Twins truck is here and the team from Minnesota is ready to spend the next six weeks here in Fort Myers.
the weather authority Warm stretch continues throughout this weekend The Weather Authority says if you are a fan of the warmer weather, you are going to love this weekend.
SANIBEL Sanibel’s red tide raises health alerts and wildlife concerns With great weather in the forecast, it’s shaping up to be a perfect beach weekend. However, visitors to the barrier islands should exercise caution.
NAPLES Naples Automotive Experience raises funds for St. Matthew’s House The Naples Automotive Experience brought excitement and philanthropy to the community, raising money for St. Matthew’s House.
MATLACHA Little Pine Island bridge work causes delays, FDOT promises progress Construction on the Little Pine Island Bridge has narrowed traffic to one lane, causing significant delays for drivers.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Support women’s heart health on National Wear Red Day The first Friday in February marks National Wear Red Day!
Ongoing repairs following Naples plane crash A deadly plane crash that occurred one year ago in Naples, Florida continues to impact lives in Southwest Florida. The tragic event involved two pilots who lost their lives on Interstate 75.
The Shelter for Abused Women and Children in Collier County. CREDIT: WINK News Therapy is used to help people cope and recover. It’s essential when it comes to helping victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. A group of licensed therapists in Collier County uses a specific education form to help survivors leave their trauma behind. “Domestic violence, and certainly human trafficking are considered repeated, severe trauma, the participants that come they need stabilization in many areas,” said Natalia Gonzales, a licensed therapist and clinical director at the Shelter for Abused Women and Children. The shelter, in Collier County, offers a number of resources and programs to victims, including housing, court advocates and financial and job resources. But even after all of this, survivors can feel lost. “After they go through outreach, with resource management, and other services that we provide, what’s really left is working on some of the emotional distress that’s left,” Gonzalez said. “Our goal is to help people process versus just talking about it … We don’t just do counseling, it’s not just a conversation of oh, how you feeling, how was your week. This is deeper, we use, we use a hidden gem.” That gem is a form of therapeutic education. “It’s an array of techniques that really get in there and go to the traumatic network, open it up. And they really help the brain reshuffle the information and find completely new meaning on it,” she said. Once a survivor signs up, they receive a text that connects them with a therapist. That’s where they’ll answer a set of open-ended questions, like “Tell me a similarity between you and the person who abused you.” Gonzalez said the survivor answers the question over and over again until they find closure. “A lot of the people that we see have received some form of counseling or therapy in the past. And usually the comment is, this is strange, what is this? At the beginning, they could be a little skeptical because it is a bit bizarre. And then they’re like, I don’t know what this is. But I feel amazing. I feel great,” Gonzalez said. She acknowledges the skeptics. But said the results are proof. They use an evidence-based tool called OQ Analyst to track patient progress. “We know, is this person getting better? Or are they getting worse? Or have they plateaued? And we thought we could use other modalities that could potentially help move the process along,” Gonzalez said. Since 2015, Gonzalez and her team have helped more than 400 survivors get back to living a normal life. “It’s amazing knowing that they’re out there and that they don’t have to worry about that nightmare, that anxiety, thinking about that thing and ruminating over the same thing over and over again. Now they’re thinking about what’s next,” she said. Gonzalez said the length of the sessions can range depending on a patient’s performance. Survivors can answer the questions on their own time or in-person with a therapist. If you need help or know someone in an abusive relationship, contact the domestic violence hotline at 1-800-799-7233.