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Voices of Courage: Sahib
DAYA CLIENTS SHARE THEIR STORIES

My journey to healing from psychological abuse started at Daya’s doorsteps. Though I was never promised a rose garden, Daya helped me build one from the ashes I bought to them.
What are the voices of courage?
Courage may mean facing your your fears. Courage could mean confronting someone who was supposed to be your ally, but is now an adversary. But courage very often means taking a giant leap into the unknown. This unknown might be freedom, an opportunity, a new challenge, or perhaps even pain. But courage, as any Daya client will tell you, is not simply overcoming your fear, but understanding that there is something more important than that fear: the hope for a safe future.
For each survivor this journey is unique – some do not speak English, some are unmarried, some are dependent on their abuser for a visa, most are extremely isolated. All need Daya's help. Daya illuminates the path to for each survivor with the tools and resources needed to find safety, security, and healing.
Three of Daya's clients who have made that journey have bravely decided to tell their stories in the hopes that other survivors can also use their voices to reach out for help. We are honored to share the first of three voices of courage: Bushra.
My story is one with a focus on the future. From a turbulent childhood, Daya helped me find comfort, safety, and hope. At the age of 25, I was finding it difficult to navigate my family life, work life, and relationships. Life at home was never a walk in the park. I am a generally anxious person, and it made me nervous to even think that I would maybe share what I had been through with a stranger. But at the time, I felt like I was lacking people to confide in, especially in the isolation of the global pandemic.
I learned about Daya from my mom who was already receiving counseling here. There was an obvious shift in her outlook every time she came back from a session, and I thought that if Daya could help her, I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn’t at least try to do the same for myself.
A few weeks later I reached out and started counseling where I was allowed a safe space to share my story of growing up witnessing abuse and discuss healthy coping mechanisms. I was nervous about reaching out, but everyone who I talked to at Daya made me feel comfortable throughout the entire process. So much so that I would feel a burden being lifted after many sessions just because I had someone who was really listening. Even beyond just listening, Daya provided me with the tools and confidence to deal with my obstacles.
Often, I am so overwhelmed, it’s hard to see the task at hand for what it is. Daya helps me recognize these issues and get an objective view of the situation. Daya has made life feel digestible for me and the people who know me best know that I am a much happier person today than I was when I first started receiving services at Daya. Daya has also helped me celebrate the many things that give me joy like writing and performing poetry, building keyboards, and playing with my dog, Rumi.
Mental health is such a controversial topic in the South Asian community. So many of us refuse help because we are afraid of the societal consequences, but we are all human. We are social beings and not equipped to deal with every one of our problems alone. There is no shame in getting help, and Daya has been that help for me.
–Sahib, Houston, TX 2023
DOWNLOAD BUSHRA'S STORY
DOWNLOAD TANZINA'S STORY
DOWNLOAD SAJHIB'S STORY
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