When Samantha* first came to WIT, she was homeless.
She had been in an abusive relationship with her wife (a cisgender woman) for five years. Samantha had been defending herself against her wife's attack when the police were called. Because Samantha is a trans woman, the police assumed Samantha was the perpetrator, and she was arrested.
Shortly after, her wife obtained a Protection From Abuse (PFA) order and evicted Samantha from their shared home. Upon her release, she was instructed she could not go back to the only home she had, not to even collect her belongings. Samantha reached out for help to the few family members who had not turned their backs on her due to her gender or sexual orientation.
Her cousin gave her shelter for a little while, before telling Samantha that she didn't want "any drama" and asked her to leave. Samantha started reaching out to various shelters, and was turned away from the first few she called. People's voices changed, she said, once she told them that she was a trans woman.
She began crying before she had even taken a seat
A friend referred her to Women In Transition (WIT) to receive counseling services. She attended a peer support group, despite worrying about the biases she would meet from other group members. She needed the support.
At the end of her first group, she said she was surprised by the welcome and support she had felt from the other group members, as well as from the WIT counselor facilitating the group.
She pulled the counselor aside to thank her. The thank you turned into a conversation. By the end of the conversation, Samantha had requested an appointment for an individual counseling intake.
On the day of her appointment, she began crying before she had even taken a seat. Samantha revealed she had a history of substance abuse, she grew up in the DHS system, and that she had been rejected by just about everyone she knew. Together, Samantha and her counselor worked on a safety plan around everyday activities like getting on the bus, going to public restrooms, and being safe on the street: all key to her survival and recovery.
Rebuilding her life
Samantha attended counseling for six months. She is currently living in transitional housing, working part time, and rebuilding her life. Samantha relapsed several months ago, but immediately went into an Intensive Outpatient recovery program: she is stronger now than she was before. She still attends WIT’s peer support groups and is grateful to have a safe space like WIT in the commmunity.
*Name changed for confidentiality