'They're scared. They're worried. There is no one telling them they can do something different. They're doing what they see,' said therapist Akea Williams while speaking about some of Philly's youngest gun violence victims.
Williams is a Colmar-based therapist who specializes in helping to heal families affected by gun violence.
"The first thing I do is give them a hug. let them know somebody cares about you because you don't know what they're going through. You don't know what someone's normal is," she said."They're scared. They're worried. There is no one telling them they can do something different. They're doing what they see. There are no other options for them with trauma," she said.
Through her nonprofit Akea's Heart, Williams provides free counseling to those in need. But she said she can't do it alone. Like police, she sees more and more perpetrators and victims of gun violence getting younger and creating another cycle of trauma. "The shooters are becoming younger and younger and feeling they got to take over," she said. "It's a lot to do with the music. It's a lot to do with social media. But the main cause of it is untreated trauma."
Williams said there is a tremendous need for more therapists, especially those who take insurance. Wait times can be over a year, which sadly some of these kids don't have to get better.
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