Thomas was a 22-year-old Hispanic-American male born and raised in New York. He entered the room and sat on the edge of the most comfortable seat in the space. He explained that it was his first time seeking a therapist. I noticed his breathing seemed a bit heavy and his leg was shaking.

I couldn’t calm myself down. My mom couldn’t either. So, she called my brother (who was a firefighter at the time) and he hurried over with some of his firefighter friends. They couldn’t calm me down, and the next thing I knew, I was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance.