DENVER — A mental health clinician in Denver saw the news out of Nashville and found herself relating to some of her patients.
She doesn't want to use her last name for security reasons, but Heather told 9NEWS the first thing that came to mind when she saw the news about Nashville was "Here we go again."
Heather grew up in Tennessee going to the church attached to the Covenant School. She is a Denver-based mental health clinician.
"I work right now with juvenile justice involved youth as well as youth that struggle with any mental health disorders," she said. "They're living in constant trauma with things going on like with the shooting and stuff. It's like they're constantly nervous for their safety."
Last week, on the day of the East High School shooting, Heather had an appointment scheduled there with a student. It was canceled before she got to the school. The student stayed home that day, but the violence did not.
"I'm supposed to know how to help kids cope as a therapist, but in this scenario, it's like, how can you help a kid cope when the crisis is still going? Like, you don't," she said. "The closer it gets to you the worse it’s going to get."
For Heather to be frustrated, it didn't need to get close, but it did. This week, she turned on her phone and saw her childhood church.
"Then I saw the school and I was like no way. I grew up in that church. I was there when we broke ground for that campus when the school was added," she said. "That's when I found that Mrs. Koonce."
Katherine Koonce was the head of Covenant School. She died in the shooting this week.
When Heather knew her decades ago, she was a tutor and changed the program for kids who needed extra help.
"She was super sweet and super lovely and just a joy to be around," Heather said. "I am sad for the community I grew up in and so sad for the families, but I'm so sick of things not changing, and unfortunately I don't see light at the end of the tunnel."
Heather said for the survivors of these school shootings, the trauma can manifest for years to come. Many can be later diagnosed with a number of conditions, including panic disorder, PTSD and general depression. She shared a message for political leaders not taking action.
"How many times does it take for this to happen for you to realize like you actually want kids to live," she said. "I try to remain hopeful because I can’t live in a world with no hope, but something’s got to change and I don’t know how that happens, but I mean I’m gonna do everything I can to try and make that happen."
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