Lisa Cordero, RN/BSN, Reiki 1 and 2, is a SHE RECOVERS Together Online Zoom Gatherings volunteer host, the volunteer host coordinator, and a guardian within the SHE RECOVERS space in The Phoenix app. In her volunteer roles, she is insightful, compassionate, and possesses the unique ability to see the diverse needs of everyone within the community, triage issues as they arise, and suggest solutions that serve the highest good of all. Lisa has been volunteering for the foundation for the last two years and has an unwavering commitment to SHE RECOVERS’ mission.
She has recently been recognized as a SHE RECOVERS Gem.
SHE RECOVERS Gems are volunteers who their peers have acknowledged for their profound and life-altering contributions and service to our community.
We had the honor of interviewing Lisa Cordero about her role as a SHE RECOVERS volunteer.
What does being a SHE RECOVERS Foundation volunteer mean to you?
Everything! I really enjoy being able to give back to this grassroots organization. What I receive in return is tenfold! Being a part of a team that is so loving and supportive has been life changing! I’m so proud to be recovering out loud and sharing all things SHE RECOVERS with people I interact with in my community. My goal is to become a SHE RECOVERS Coach and hold in-person sharing circles here in Holland.
What made you want to become a SHE RECOVERS Foundation volunteer?
I really wanted to help. As a retired RN, service is in my blood. I have many 24 hours of recovery from alcohol use disorder and I wanted to give back what I had received. When I read the Intentions & Guiding Principles, I knew immediately that SHE RECOVERS was my home!
What three words would your friends and peers use to describe you?
Fun. Energetic. Thoughtful.
How do these aspects of who you are show up in your everyday life?
I love to laugh, and I love to move! If I hear music, I’m dancing! I also enjoy doing unexpected things for people to brighten their day. I’m a helper by nature and if I can make someone else happy or laugh, or ease their load, I will do it.
What is something of which you are proud?
My willingness to keep growing and learning. That willingness has led to major changes in all my relationships. Most importantly, my relationships with my four adult daughters!
What do you do outside of your volunteer role for work and/or play?
I am retired from a career as a Surgical RN. Now, I spend my time taking care of myself after so many years of taking care of others. I love to swim, do elliptical, lift weights, practice yoga, meditation, breathwork, and Reiki, walk the beach, be with my dog Zeke, and of course my family. I also make jewelry from beach glass I find on Lake Michigan. Being creative is very therapeutic!
What does radical self-care look like for you?
Getting enough sleep, eating foods that are nourishing, movement, getting outside every day, and being around people who lift me up and support my recovery.
Tell us a little bit about your recovery journey. What are you recovering from? What tools and resources do you weave into your patchwork of recovery?
I’m in recovery for AUD, codependency, PTSD, trauma, sexual abuse as a teen, work trauma, emotional immaturity as an adult, overspending, disordered eating and exercise. I was a part of AA for eighteen years, and it saved my life. A bunch of things co-conspired to help me see that childhood trauma/emotional neglect was causing me to numb my emotions. All the things I did excessively were attempts to self-soothe. Once I understood that, I started to heal fully. Everything made sense and I could move forward. For the last twenty-one years, I have been in a recovery space and sought out therapy, I use meditation, breathwork, yoga, movement, nutrition, and an inner child coach as tools to heal mind, body, and spirit. For me, SHE RECOVERS has tied all these things together and changed my life in ways that I couldn’t have imagined three years ago!
What or who is inspiring you right now?
The SHE RECOVERS leadership team. I stepped into a leadership role so I could learn firsthand from these amazing leaders. I had never heard the language of compassion and love that I found when I came to SHE RECOVERS. I knew they were people that I wanted to emulate, and then take what I learned to my own interactions and relationships. I’m so grateful for a space to learn without fear of being yelled at or punished for making a mistake. It gives me a confidence I didn’t know I was capable of.
What SHE RECOVERS Intention and Guiding Principle resonates with you the most?
We answer the call to heal our past wounds and intergenerational traumas so we can live fully in the present.
What is your favorite SHE RECOVERS resource?
The twice-daily SHE RECOVERS Together Online Zoom Gatherings.
What is one piece of advice you would give to another woman/non-binary individual who is seeking a community like SHE RECOVERS?
Join us for the gatherings in any way you can and just listen to the women who are a part of the community. Let us hold you and love you until you can do it for yourself.
