Martha Banks
Martha Banks became part of AARBF about fifteen years ago when she began her volunteer services as a Support Group Facilitator. Through the years, she has been involved in supporting Survivor Services, camps, and Christmas parties. Martha completed her Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology at University of Phoenix and her Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy Degree from the National University. Martha also obtained her Drug and Alcohol Certification from the Los Angeles Training Institute for Alcohol and Drug Counseling. She enjoys working with people and combining valuable resources to achieve a positive outcome. She has experience across a variety of treatment settings including hospitals, private practice, inpatient and outpatient mental health, and substance abuse.
As a burn survivor, she shares a common experience of overcoming a traumatic event with other survivors; she can empathize and understand the challenges that a survivor has faced and continues to face as they navigate their recovery. She understands the struggles and she is eager to provide support, empathy, understanding, compassion, and acceptance to other burn survivors.
Through her involvement with AARBF, Martha’s goal is to help and encourage survivors to break down feelings of isolation and build a sense of community to share experiences and challenges, to promote understanding and acceptance in order to inspire one another and encourage them to thrive.
