OUR WORK
Too often, women’s stories are shaped by exploitation, sometimes at a very young age. Exploitation strips them of control over their bodies, time, and choices, keeping them trapped in the cycle. Boston HEAT exists to restore that control.
We begin with dignity and trust, so women can move toward reclaiming agency.
Every story starts with a person
Where others see barriers, we build bonds
Street Psychology is our model for putting dignity into practice. It was built on the partnership between Dr. Abigail Judge, a clinical psychologist specializing in trauma, addiction, and exploitation, and Sandra Andrade, a survivor and peer advocate with lived experience of trafficking, recovery, and frontline advocacy. Together, they combined clinical expertise and lived experience to build trust that traditional outreach cannot. That trust, built slowly and consistently, becomes the foundation for everything that follows.
Trust is built at the speed of presence.
Street Psychology operates through three connected components
1
Wherever She Is
When women land in hospitals, courtrooms, or jail cells, we show up. We walk beside them. We advocate. We stay. We don’t rush trust or push decisions. We don’t require readiness. Our steady presence helps women begin to regain a sense of control—often after years of exploitation and instability.
2
The Spot
The Spot is our private, trauma-informed space. Women can shower, eat, rest, and wash their clothes. But more than that, it’s a place to exhale. A place where they are seen, heard, and offered real choices, sometimes the only choices available to them. Here, dignity isn’t earned. It’s assumed.
3
Advocacy Across Institutions
Women who are exploited often end up in hospitals, courtrooms, or social service offices, but these settings aren’t designed to address the intersection of addiction, trauma, and trafficking.
We help professionals understand how opioid addiction, coercion, and survival strategies intertwine, and what support leads to informed, coordinated care that moves women forward.
She’s not a case. She’s a life.
OUR WORK
Dignity Comes First in Action
It’s not just about getting a woman to a doctor’s appointment. It’s working with healthcare systems so she’s met with understanding instead of suspicion.
It’s not just about standing beside her in court. It’s working with legal systems so decisions protect her safety and strengthen the community. Miriam this appears twice on site.
It’s not just about standing beside her in court. It’s working with legal systems so decisions protect her safety and strengthen the community.
It’s not just about finding a bed for the night. It’s helping women move toward stability that fits their lives, values, and pace.
We bridge the systems that rarely work together, so women can find their path forward.
