On Wednesday, November 19th, my social justice group and I went to NYCC, or The New York Center For Children. This is an organization that provides therapy, as well as mental and medical support for children of all ages that have gone through abuse. When we 

got there, a woman named Christine Crowther, the administrative director of the program, was waiting for us in the lobby where we hung up our coats and were taken around the facilities for a tour. Our first stop was the “Mary” room, a playroom dedicated to a woman who was sexually abused by her father as a child. We then walked around some more and saw many therapy rooms, all painted with a different theme, closets filled with games, their medical inspection room, and their consultation room, where one of the walls was made of one-way glass and there was a small microphone taped to the ceiling.

After the tour, Christine took us into their conference room where we sat down and started on our interview. We got to learn so much about NYCC! They were founded around twenty years ago and Christine has been working there for seventeen, making her one of the most experienced workers there. They also offer a college internship program, where psychology majors can come and sit in on therapy sessions, (if it’s okay with the patients), learn from professionals, and do research. Around halfway through the interview, a woman named Jillian Miller came in the room to talk to us. She is the executive director of the program as well as the director of therapeutic services. She has also been with New York Center For Children for fifteen some-odd years, and she asked us at the end of the interview if we would be willing to possibly create advertisements and connections via social-media. Of course we sen said yes, however we have yet to get back to her how/when we will do it.

All in all, our trip to the New York Center For Children was a success! This was a different side of what we’ve been learning about so far. At NYCC we learned, first hand, about the real tolls different types of abuse can have on a child later in life. All of this was so informing and educational and we are so grateful to have been able to speak with Christine and Jillian. We hope to keep in touch!