Talk 1-on-1 with a Peer Specialist About First Responder PTSD

Grounded support for real life and recovery.

Hi! I am 63 years old—a survivor, an overcomer, and a woman of faith who has lived through diagnoses: chronic health challenges, PTSD, grief, anxiety, and trauma. I have survived mental and physical trauma, including religious trauma, dysfunctional family dynamics, narcissistic behaviors, gaslighting, abandonment, rejection, and power and control. As the youngest of five children, these experiences affected how I saw myself for many years. Through separation, healing, faith, and self-discovery, I began to find freedom. I discovered my identity, embraced my positive qualities, and learned that I am more than what happened to me. Throughout my life, I have experienced tremendous grief. I lost a sibling in 1989, my father in 2015, my mother in 2022, and other loved ones along the way. Each loss became part of my journey and helped shape the woman I am today. I am the mother of one son and grandmother of three beautiful grandchildren. My family has faced challenges, including ADHD, PTSD, and childhood seizures, yet I also see incredible gifts, talents, strength, and potential beyond measure. From 2014 until June 2022, I was my mother's caregiver as she lived with dementia. It was one of the hardest challenges of my life. It brought me to my knees and taught me to move beyond codependency and place my complete trust in God. It taught me humility and helped me discover purpose in my pain. Although my mother had four living children, I often felt I stood alone. Others may have considered me the "black sheep," but I came to believe God had chosen and set me apart for something greater. My mother was one of my greatest influences and mentors, and I loved her dearly. My son and I are also walking through our healing journey—recovering from childhood trauma, rebuilding our relationship, and seeking spiritual healing. After 13 years of estrangement, we are reconnecting and learning how to bond again. I'm not where I want to be, but thank God, I'm not where I used to be. In 2012, substance use (prescribed medication) and an eating disorder became ways of trying to escape a painful world. But God said, "You shall live and not die." And I am still here—to use my lived experience to encourage others and share how I survived, healed, and overcame. I am an expressive writer. Poetry and spoken words allow me to release the bad, the good, and the ugly. Paper does not judge. Writing advocates and gives a voice to the voiceless. The pen 🖊 spills what our lips cannot speak—our truth. My motto is: "Knowledge Brings Clarity, and Clarity Brings Power." Professionally, I am a faith-based Certified Peer Specialist (CRSS), Dementia Facilitator, and Resource Specialist supporting women and children impacted by domestic violence. My lived experiences have shaped my passion for advocacy, education, peer support, and helping others find resources, hope, and a voice. Through everything I have endured, I have learned that every attack does not deserve a reaction. I have learned when to be silent, when to speak, and—most importantly—when to walk away. In 2025, I became a curse breaker. Through the wisdom of God and clarity received from a deeply personal experience with Him, I began breaking down layers of generational pain and trauma. My healing became about more than me. It became about what I would pass down to my son, grandchildren, and generations to come. Instead of passing down the pain of the past, I choose to pass down the greatest gift God has given us—the gift of LOVE and how to acknowledge a LIE vs the TRUTH. My journey is about healing the inner child, breaking down every layer, and gaining clarity for mental health wellness, spiritual healing, and freedom. I am breaking what no longer needs to continue. I am healing what was once left wounded. I am replacing generational pain with generational love. My global brand is Rebirth4Love—representing survival, transformation, healing, purpose, faith, generational change, unconditional love, and the power to begin again. My message to the world is: OUR PAST DOES NOT DEFINE OUR DESTINY! There is life after trauma, purpose after pain, love after rejection, freedom after breaking generational cycles, and always an opportunity for rebirth.

I’m like a Board of Directors, but for you as a person.

I have lived experience with bipolar disorder, borderline personality, panic disorder/agoraphobia, PTSD, and addiction with most of it starting in my early childhood years. I’m now sober and live my life in recovery since December of 2023. Recovery isn’t always going to be perfect, and as a peer support specialist, I want to provide a safe and supportive nonjudgmental space where others feel heard, understood, and connected.

I was called to help others because I realize firsthand, the importance of a Supportive Community and Network through the healing and recovery process is essential to complete wellness.

Survivor: addiction, mental health, domestic violence, grief

Here to help you navigate your recovery and healing.

Grounded, Compassionate Peer Support and Guidance.