Crime Victims I am a mental health provider with the Washington State Crime Victims Compensation Program (CVCP). The CVCP provides assistance to victims of crimes as well as the family and friends of victims. One form of assistance that the CVCP provides is covering the expense of mental health counseling for victims of crime. Therapy sessions can occur either in my West Seattle office or in your home. Typically, sessions occur on a weekly basis for six weeks. In this short period of time, we will work on starting the process of grief, acceptance, and healing. I approach my clients with compassion and empathy at the same time as providing a confident source of strength at a time when such solidity is needed.  LOVED ONES The period following a traumatic event is the most delicate for a victim of a crime. Oftentimes, loved ones unknowingly add to the difficulty of the situation.  One common reaction is that loved ones become so upset that the victim feels responsible for the anxiety of their friends and family. Another common reaction is for loved ones to not talk about the event for fear of upsetting the victim. One more reaction that I have seen is for loved ones to encourage the victim to “get over it”—and this message may be delivered out right or masked. All these reactions are out of love for the victim, but do not assist the healing process. My recommendation for loved ones of a victim is to -Create a safe opening for the victim to talk about the incident -Do not offer advice unless it is asked for -Ask the victim, “Do you want my help—I am available” -Divert your own grief and anxiety by talking it over with others, not the victim -Allow the victim to process the incident on their own timeline and in their own way. At some point, you may want to refer them to professional help -Do not invalidate their feelings or thoughts -Be a source of comfort and sympathy GRIEF Victims may also not realize that they will probably go though a period of grief.  Grief over the loss of a variety of things such as a sense of safety, a sense of control, ideas about the world, ideas about the community, etc. The grief process contains the following elements that do not occur in any specific order or frequency: FORGIVENESS In our culture, forgiveness is demanded. The hidden or overt pressure to forgive the perpetrator and forgive the self can result in a heightened sense of anxiety for the victim because of the inability or non-desire to forgive. This is an unhealthy loop that will go nowhere. Forgiveness of the self and other may or may not occur.  If it does occur, it is very difficult to know what that timeline will be. For many of us, this is a difficult concept to swallow. I don’t ask that you swallow it, but rather, be aware that this is the norm. Please see the CVCP brochure for more information about qualifications. If you would like to pursue these services, fill out the application and send it in to the CVCP indicating that you are requesting Dug Y. Lee, MA Provider #8942057 to be your mental health provider.  Once the CVCP approves your application, they will contact me and I in turn will contact you to set up an appointment. OTHER RESOURCES OVC TTAC: Building Capacity to Support Crime Victims NOVA National Organization for Victim Assistance National Center for Victims of Crime National Crime Victims Center resource list Loved Ones Victims Services Families & Friends of Violent Crime Victims DISMAS Ministry King County Crisis Clinic Pierce County Crisis Line Snohomish County Crisis Line