I am recovering from:
Substance use disorder, intergenerational trauma.
The identity-based group(s) I am a part of:
Cancer survivor.
My personal definition of recovery:
A lifelong journey and daily practice to wholeness, to remembering who you are. Free from limiting or unhelpful thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors, free to live fully.
What led me to SHE RECOVERS:
I had completed treatment and was in a place of ‘now what?’ I gratefully discovered SHE RECOVERS and instantly found community, belonging, and hope. I then went on to find a new expression of my purpose – pivoting from executive and leadership coaching to recovery coaching and mentorship. SHE RECOVERS empowered me to recover out loud and to smash the stigma often associated with addiction and mental health. I am profoundly grateful for this organization.
Why I love being a part of this team and non-profit organization:
I believe that we all wish to lead fulfilling, purposeful lives and to contribute to something bigger than ourselves. Addiction, mental health struggles, loss, illness, trauma, burnout (life) can disconnect us from our true, authentic, and amazing selves. The community, connection, resources, and hope in SHE RECOVERS can help us get back to ourselves. Getting to experience women finding hope and wholeness fills me up. And, getting to work with a truly extraordinary team of women is an honor that I’m grateful for every day.
Something unique you may not already know about me:
I LOVE donkeys. They are loyal, intuitive, intelligent, and fierce protectors. They are also unique, quirky, and playful. Every summer I spend time at a donkey sanctuary in BC, where over 100 elderly and special needs donkeys get the love they deserve. I recently competed in a donkey race with Banjo as my team mate, and we won!
Something I am most proud of:
My sobriety. Recovering out loud. My marriage. Breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma in my family. Crushing cancer. Cycling on every continent. Cycling to help create a world where nobody dies from cancer. Being able to do unassisted pull-ups at 52.
Radical self-care look for me looks like:
Sleeping 8 hours / night. Sweating (exercise) once a day. Yoga. Buddhist Recovery meetings. Connecting to my breath in meditation. Finding quiet in nature. Women’s recovery study group. SR Together Online gatherings. Cooking nourishing and colorful meals. Cycling with my girlfriends. Making time for friends and family. Date nights. Laughing with my husband. Walking the dogs at my dogs’ pace (stopping to smell all the smells)!
What I wanted to be when I grew up:
Veterinarian.
Something that is inspiring me right now:
(1) The many women who are choosing to change their relationship with substances and believing that they are capable of thriving. (2) Recovery coaching is in its infancy in North America and there is so much possibility to serve and to be a part of crushing stigma associated with addiction and mental health issues.
The SHE RECOVERS Intention & Guiding Principle resonating the most with me right now is…
When we are ready we recover out loud so that women who are struggling can find and join our movement. Once I was ready to recover out loud, my entire world changed. I now proudly own my story and wake up every morning with the intention of inspiring others to own their stories.
My favorite SHE RECOVERS resource is…
I really cannot name one. They have all served me at various times along my recovery journey.
SRF Sessions I’ve Facilitated:
https://youtu.be/8lCTa7qMxX8
