A Fight Worth Joining: PBA Hosts Human Trafficking Training Seminar

Mental health counselor and Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) alumna Bonnie Jo Daniels knows a thing or two about fighting. She has spent the last 15 years of her life advocating for victims and spreading awareness about human trafficking. For Daniels, the key to winning against one of the darkest forces of humanity is not a good right hook; it's persistence, education, and most importantly, hope.

Daniels presented her knowledge at a seminar on January 17, 2026, with the Tree of Life Foundationat PBA. The main takeaways from the seminar are not just to alert audiences to the sheer amount of trafficking happening in their own communities, but also to connect them with coalitions and foundations that exist to help and educate. The seminars were born from The Human Trafficking Coalition in celebration of their 25th anniversary, with legacy awards presented to some of their longest-serving members, including Daniels.

The Mission of a Broken Heart

Daniels refers to the way she became involved in the fight against human trafficking as a "God story." The night before she was supposed to go on a mission trip in China, she ended up watching a documentary about trafficking. The film was really touching because her grandson was the same age as the child in the film. She collapsed to the floor in pain and agony over what a terrible reality some of God's children are forced to bear.

"I couldn't figure out why God would break my heart that tenderly," Daniels expressed.

That one spiritual experience sparked in her a desire to learn more about the cause of opposing human trafficking. On her mission trip and when she returned, God opened her eyes to the trafficking going on around the globe and even in her own city. Fifteen years ago, Daniels said it felt like no one was talking about human trafficking, but to her, it had become impossible to ignore. God chased her with a calling and she started her journey in faith, not knowing where each new coalition meeting would lead. One of those meetings eventually resulted in her becoming a member of the Christ Fellowship's Hope for Freedom Ministry team, which works directly with trafficking victims by providing a safe house.

The Toolkit of Education

While running the safe house, Daniels noticed the high turnover among therapists who worked with the victims. Motivated to provide a source of consistency for victims, she returned to higher education in her fifties by enrolling in graduate school at PBA. In 2017, she graduated with a master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Furthering her education gave her the tools to move from administrative roles in the safe house to providing individual care for those who have experienced massive trauma to their minds and bodies.

Being Hope in a World of Despair

Hosting human trafficking seminars at a university level is critical in West Palm Beach as the most at risk population is the undergraduate age group. By educating and raising awareness about the issue, not only can young people be inspired to start talking about it and taking action, but also, hopefully, help decrease the number of potential victims in the demographic.

"The value of getting to the target group before the traffickers is priceless," Daniels said. "Education is priceless. Awareness is priceless."

Daniels is aware that human trafficking is a heavy topic and advises her new volunteers to pace themselves with their education. She recognizes that it is easy to be overwhelmed or exhausted by the amount of evil in the world and emphasizes to her volunteers that they should still rest and enjoy life as they keep fighting.

Daniels believes that, at the end of the day, the hope in such dire situation is always found in Jesus, and His followers are called to be more than advocates fighting for social justice. By spreading the Gospel, Christians help fight back against the darkness with the joy of God's love.

"You can't go dabbling in the darkness without abiding in the light," Daniels stated. "We don't want the darkness to wreck any soul in the process of doing good."

To learn more about PBA's Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, click here.