During basic training, she was often sore and tired, but felt safe albeit a bit homesick. After training, she was deployed to South Korea and stationed with all male service members. Living in a new place was a culture shock, but she kept in touch by writing letters to home and immersed herself in the local environment. Though she was excited to share new experiences, that excitement quickly dwindled when she was sexually assaulted by a fellow service member.

After this painful event, Hayes became very depressed. She struggled to connect with or trust anyone, and had difficulty finding a strong support system. After a year in South Korea, she was transferred to Ft. Carson, CO, where she began self-medicating with alcohol and eventually spiraling into hard drugs. Struggling with sobriety, she requested early discharge and returned home.

In New York, reintegrating had its own challenges. Although she felt worldly, she had also become guarded and angry. She lacked self-confidence and had difficulty trusting others. In addition, she began experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. As a result, Hayes encountered many failed relationships, including a short marriage to an abusive husband. The bright spot during this time was the birth of her two boys, whom she raised on her own after her marriage ended.

Wanting a better life for her and her children, she joined Sitrin’s Military Rehabilitation Program. There, she found it easy to connect with and confide in the staff and other veterans who shared some of the same “invisible” injuries she was experiencing.

In Sitrin’s program, Hayes took part in Dance/Movement Therapy. This treatment gave her an outlet to process her complex feelings with movement and the courage to express them in words. With Sitrin’s therapy staff and veteran volunteers, she choreographed two personalized dances. The first told the story of her life before, during, and after the military. Emotionally moving to Miranda Lambert’s "Tin Man," Hayes demonstrated her feelings of having her heart misused and mistreated by many throughout her life.

In the second dance, she showcased her growth and resiliency by passionately dancing to Rachel Platten’s "Fight Song.” Using strong motions and vibrant scarves, she exhibited healing through her powerful movements. She also incorporated her two children into the performance to demonstrate what was most important to her.

Sitrin’s holistic treatment increased Hayes’ confidence, and gave her the ability to connect with, trust, and depend on others again. Today, she describes herself as “a fighter and a survivor” and is happy that Dance/Movement Therapy has showed her the power of healing and moving on.