I am recovering from:
Alcohol use disorder, body image disorder, CPTSD.
The identity-based group(s) I am a part of:
LGBTQ+.
My personal definition of recovery:
For me, recovery is a practice. It’s going slowly enough each day to be aware of what is happening, how I’m responding to life and why. It’s discerning what I do, who I spend time with, assessing my needs and deeply listening to my body, mind, and spirit. Recovery is reading books to educate myself on my coping mechanisms and traumas. It’s connecting with others in recovery, telling my story, supporting and being present for others, and living an authentic life. Recovery also includes sessions with my therapist, self-development workshops, hard conversations with people I love and respect, and setting boundaries. It all started with sobriety and then recovery quickly became a new way of being in the world for me.
What led me to SHE RECOVERS:
Recovery led me here. What keeps me here is the community, team members, intentions and guiding principles, the mission, the gatherings, the strong online community, and more. SRF is fulfilling for me in every way both personally AND professionally.
Why I love being a part of this team and organization:
Working with like minded humans on a mission to help empower people to be their best selves, and serve others while on this path, is a dream come true.
Those that know me best might describe me as:
Creative, kind, and recovering.
How these qualities show up in my everyday life:
I approach my life through a lens of creativity whether I’m sewing, singing, connecting with others, designing a website or filling in a spreadsheet. Kindness is the fuel to my inner fire. Every day I ask myself how I can be kind to myself, others, and the planet. Recovery is my boat. The vessel that carries me safely through the waves of life.
Something unique you may not already know about me:
I am a henna body artist.
Something I am most proud of:
My recovery.
Radical self-care look for me looks like:
Radical self-care looks like being gentle with myself each day and taking my time, whether that’s resting, painting my nails, reading books, calling a friend and / or even more active things like starting a business, being a mentor, or speaking at an event. What makes my self-care radical is that I will put self-care before everything else including the demands of others, the outside world, and sometimes even the demands I unconsciously place on myself.
What I wanted to be when I grew up:
An actress.
Something that is inspiring me right now:
Sobriety, functional nutrition, and starting my acting career up again after 20 years.
The SHE RECOVERS Intention & Guiding Principle resonating the most with me right now is…
“We answer the call to heal our past wounds and intergenerational traumas so we can live fully in the present.” When I began to see that my healing was affecting my family members, I began to see myself as a pioneer on a quest. I was recovering not only for me, but for my lineage – past, present, and future.
My favorite SHE RECOVERS resource is…
If I had to choose, I would say the SRF Support for LGBTQ+ group and gatherings.
