Houston storm: Deer Park, JCM counseling center recovering after hurricane leaves nothing to practice on

Deer Park, Texas (KTRK) – The owners of a counseling center in Deer Park are trying to get back on their feet so they can get back to helping people in the community.

“It’s heartbreaking to lose everything you made a living with,” said Janet Martinez.

their business, JCM Consultingwas in the direct path of an EF3 tornado that struck and destroyed Tuesday.

Related: Storm damage seen across Pasadena after the hurricane hits during severe weather in Southeast Texas

Janet Martinez and Clara Monroe, both licensed counselors, were with clients when they got an alert on their phones.

“We immediately went to the bathroom, and 15 to 20 seconds later, everything shattered,” Martinez said, choking back tears. “It was a secret place, we’re dealing with a lot of painful issues, and it’s become a safe place.”

“My client was a teenager and I was like, I have a teenager with me.”

They were huddled in the bathroom, and they believed they had saved their lives. When they opened the door and looked outside, it was from a movie.

“It reminds me of the movie The Day After Tomorrow,” Martinez said. “There’s a scene where the janitor opens the door, and there’s nothing left. That’s exactly what happened when I opened the door, and there was nothing there but the floor.”

As they searched through piles of wreckage and rubble for their testimonies, it served as a reminder of what they built and what they helped so much. It was necessary to create a comfortable and safe environment.

SEE ALSO: ‘Tell your loved ones I love you’: Families struggle with devastating loss in Pasadena hurricane

“We wanted people to feel at home and be able to talk to us,” Martinez said. “Like you’re sitting in our living room, and we have to make four rooms all over again. We can do our work on the camping chairs, but in order to make it a safe and comfortable place, we have to buy everything again.”

They are now looking for new office space, and this time they will be taking out insurance on their furniture.

They hope to be up and running soon for their customers.

As licensed counselors, they said the best thing for people who are struggling right now is to talk about it.

“Speak up,” Monroe said, “whenever you talk about a traumatic event with a trustworthy person.” “My story has been told so many times, and the more you tell it, the more it loses its power over you.”

They were created GoFundMe To whom can help.

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