‘Slowly Learning to Cope’

What kind of therapy has Shawn been undergoing?
Craig: He has one dedicated therapist that he works with, and then Pam and I have individual therapists that we work with. And we all three work together with Shawn's primary therapist. We found one that he's extremely comfortable with.

How open has Shawn been with you about what he went through during his captivity?
Pam: It's been very painful for him. One thing he told us is he didn't want to see us cry anymore. We told him he doesn't have to worry, we're adults. We assure him that nothing he did was wrong. He was the victim in this case. No matter what he wants to share, it's an open policy. He can tell us anything that he wants and we will work with it. We don't talk about it just in therapy. If something comes up, we'll talk. And sometimes you can tell from his eyes that he's gone somewhere else, and we'll ask him if he wants to talk.

What has been most challenging in his recovery?
Pam: I think what the public is thinking. He knows what went on, we know what went on, the defendant knew what went on. I guess he's having a hard time with the public saying what he should've done without walking in his shoes.

Has Shawn been working at all at the Shawn Hornbeck Foundation, which you started after his disappearance and which helps locate missing kids?
Craig: He has participated in child ID events. He has actually worked on producing IDs. He has made comments that some day, he thinks he might like to talk with other kids in areas such as abduction prevention, things they can do to keep them safe if they were ever put into the same situation. And there's also been talk of being able to counsel other kids that have been put through these types of situations and help them get a handle on their feelings.

© 2007