Client
Stories
Amanda’s Story
Amanda started with Liz at The Freedom Center as a referral from Safe Passage. The Freedom Center and Safe Passage have an MOU where Safe Passage provides 8 sessions for clients they refer to The Freedom Center. Once Amanda used her 8 sessions through Safe Passage, she was able to continue to her therapy at a discounted rate through TFC’s affordable & accessible program.
Amanda experienced a near death experience involving her husband at the time. Her husband had relapsed on drugs and attempted to hold Amanda captive in their home at gunpoint. Amanda was able to escape and call 911; she was physically unharmed, but this incident was incredibly traumatic.
Throughout Amanda’s time in therapy at The Freedom Center, she processed through the traumatic event involving her ex-husband. She also was able to process her father’s recent death and unresolved issues/events from her childhood. Amanda worked through past alcohol use, processed motherhood, and explored the role faith has played throughout her life. Amanda was able to process with Liz her lifelong dream of moving out of her hometown and creating a new life for herself somewhere new.
Amanda made incredible strides throughout her time in therapy at The Freedom Center. She consistently showed up for herself and did the work to heal and truly better herself. Even through a relapse with alcohol, Amanda took it upon herself to participate in a 30-day rehabilitation center and continue therapy with Liz. Amanda was a client for a year and half before she pursued an opportunity to move up in her career and take a new job in a new city. Amanda has since accepted that new job and moved out of her hometown. She continues to show up for herself and maintain the growth, healing, and progress she accomplished during her time at The Freedom Center. (Amanda left, daughter right)
Jacob’s Story
Jacob first contacted the Hub of Hope through Facebook. He messaged Deana directly because he had seen on social media her advocacy and work in suicide prevention. Jacob messaged Deana about his feelings of hopelessness and not seeing or understanding his purpose in the world. Jacob expressed his difficult emotions and lack of belief that things could get and feel better.
Deana messaged with Jacob back and forth for long periods of time and over the course of over a month. Deana instilled hope and encouraged Jacob that he nor his life was not without purpose or reason. Deana attempted to help Jacob seek professional help in an in-patient facility to ensure his safety, but Jacob did not want to pursue in-patient treatment.
A few months after originally messaging Deana, Jacob sent the following message:
Thank you. I am a crisis negotiator for my job. I went through the FBI and all that. You were the key; you helped me realize I was human, I was worth something. You did it for me. I lay in bed thinking about your texts and realized I was worth more than what was in my head. So I started to rekindle with the gym and living my life. Thank you.
Jacob has since moved out of state, moved up in his career, and continued to build a positive and meaningful life.
Paul’s Story
For most of my life, I struggled with substance abuse. What started as a teenager became a battle that followed me into adulthood and affected many areas of my life, including my relationships, my freedom, and my faith.
My addiction led me down paths I never intended to take and resulted in consequences that I now have to face. I spent time in jail, and today I am on house arrest with a lengthy probation period ahead of me. There are days when that reality feels overwhelming, but I have learned that recovery requires honesty, accountability, and a willingness to keep moving forward.
One of the hardest challenges I face is being disabled and unable to work. While my fiancée works hard to support our family, I spend a lot of time at home alone because of my physical limitations and the restrictions of house arrest. There are moments when that quiet feels lonely. It can leave room for frustration, regret, and negative thoughts. Sometimes the days feel long, and it is easy to focus on what I have lost because of my past choices.
I am blessed to be a father to three children and a bonus father to two more. Being the father and role model they deserve is one of my greatest motivations to stay on the path of recovery. I cannot change my past, but I can choose what I do today and who I become tomorrow.
But God has shown me that there is a difference between loneliness and being alone with Him. One of the greatest blessings during this season has been that probation has allowed us to attend worship services and Abiding at the Freedom Center. What started as simply being permitted to go has become an important part of my recovery and spiritual growth. The quietness I experience there is different from the loneliness I sometimes feel at home. At Abiding, the noise of life fades away, and I can focus on God’s presence instead of my problems.
Through worship, fellowship, prayer, and God’s Word, I have found peace, encouragement, and purpose. Those moments have helped me learn that even when I feel alone, I am never truly alone. God has used this season to draw me closer to Him and remind me that my circumstances do not define me. My identity is not found in my mistakes, my disability, or my past, but in Christ.
Through recovery and my faith in God, I have learned that my mistakes do not have to define me. God has shown me grace when I did not deserve it and strength when I felt weak. He continues to remind me that my value is not based on my past, my disability, or my circumstances, but on who I am in Him.
I still have challenges ahead. House arrest and probation are not easy, and there are times when I wish I could be more present for my family or provide for them in different ways. But today I have hope. I am committed to my recovery, committed to my family, and committed to following God’s plan for my life.
My testimony is not about how far I have fallen, but about how faithful God has been in helping me get back up. I know that if God can carry me through addiction, jail, recovery, and the challenges I face today, He will continue to walk with me through whatever comes next.
