A well-known Bridgeport nonprofit has started a counseling program to not only help kids, but reduce violence in their community.

Color a Positive Thought's Talk Through Our Hurt gives kids the opportunity to see a licensed therapist at the Trumbull Gardens Community Center.

The nonprofit's founder says there is a disparity between Bridgeport and surrounding communities when it comes to access to mental health services.

"It's important because a lot of the kids we service are hurting," says 39-year-old Bridgeport resident Harry Bell. "The best thing they can do with hurt is to share it, so they can get over it."

Bell, who grew up in Trumbull Gardens, lost his mother to a drug overdose when he was just 8-years-old.

Decades later, he founded the free program to help children enduring similar trauma.

“A lot of these kids see things inside the home and outside the home that they hold in, and it's hurting them,” said Bell.

One of the licensed therapists taking part in the program is Kevin Alexander Payne, a U.S. Navy combat veteran who counseled military personnel on the front lines in Afghanistan.

"We want to get them while they're young, have them learn to express themselves and not hold these things in,” he said.

The counseling has already received praise from the community. Bridgeport resident Quantae Flemming, 19, credits the program with helping him find a better path in life.

"It's better to express yourself and talk to a higher up that knows what's going on and what's good for you,” he said.