LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Mental health counselors are helping people cope with trauma in Louisville.

On Monday, six people were killed and eight others were injured, including two police officers, when a gunman opened fire inside a bank building in downtown Louisville.  

After the mass shooting at Old National Bank in downtown Louisville, grief counselors, therapists and social workers are stressing the importance of communication. 

"Once we start accepting then we can work through the denial, the bargaining, the anger, the depression and some of those other things," said Jonathon White, a social work therapist at Norton Healthcare. 

White works with people dealing with post-traumatic stress and others who are immediately affected after an event.

"My thought immediately went to the employer, the employees because there is the direct impact for the people who have been there," White said. "Then there's the indirect impact, the people who know them, and there is the impact on the community."

White said people often subconsciously react depending on the type of traumatic event.

"A lot of times our approach to trauma is different," White said. "Natural disasters, people can understand but then there is the stigma around something that is intentional."

Religion can often play a role, according to White. He said many people lean closer to religion while some others turn it away.

"A lot of times trauma can shake the religion and shake the faith because if there was a God how can somethings like this happen," White said.

He said it is important for people to realize healing has no timeline. He encourages people to avoid isolation and to be open and honest with others.

"We talk about the post-traumatic stress but we don't talk as much about post-traumatic growth as a result of this," White said. "What have I learned? What can I do different or approach people differently."

Twelve Louisville churches will be offering counselors at their locations on Wednesday. To see the list of churches, click here.

Metro Louisville's 24-hour Trauma Resilience Community Hotline is (502) 901-0021. For immediate assistance, contact the Mental Health Crisis Line by texting 988 or visit Mental Health Lou's website.

On Wednesday, the city is hosting a vigil at the Muhammad Ali Center at 5 p.m. Free parking will be available at the museum located at 144 N. 6th Street in downtown Louisville.

"This is a very tough time for our city, and we were not meant to go through tough times along," Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a news release. "If you wish, we're asking folks to gather together to share our strength, pray for those still fighting for their lives after Monday's shooting, remember all those touched by gun violence across our entire city, and, together, begin working toward a safer future where we are truly preventing gun violence instead of constantly reacting to it."

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