How my Journey Began

My Journey to Recovery — From Survival to Purpose

Real-world experience. Lived recovery. Unshakeable compassion.

In my late teens and twenties, life looked vibrant from the outside. I was chasing freedom — dancing flamenco in Spain, hitchhiking across deserts, working on yachts in the Red Sea, and partying on rooftops from Toronto to Amsterdam. It felt like I was living the dream — adventure, connection, and nonstop motion.

But beneath the surface, something darker was building.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but those nights of partying, the constant chasing of the next thrill, and the heavy drinking were setting the stage for something I wouldn’t be able to escape alone. Addiction didn’t start as destruction. It started as fun, escape, and survival — until it wasn’t.

I Thought I Could Handle It on My Own

My first attempt to quit drinking came at age 19. I knew even then that something had taken hold. But I believed that sheer willpower would be enough. I stayed sober a few weeks, then convinced myself I could handle “just one.” The cycle repeated.

In my twenties and thirties, I kept trying. I’d string together a few months of sobriety — sometimes longer — then relapse. Each time, I promised myself I’d learned my lesson. Each time, the voice of addiction told me I’d be fine. And each time, it pulled me deeper.

The truth is: I wasn't weak. I was in pain. And I didn’t yet have the tools to face it.

Rock Bottom Looked Like Silence in a Frozen Field

I’ll never forget the night that changed everything. I was sitting alone in my SUV, in the middle of a frozen farmer’s field during a brutal prairie winter. It was silent. I was out of options. Out of hope. The thought hit me hard: Is this all I am?

But in that quiet, something stirred. A flicker of hope — not loud, not dramatic, but real. For the first time in years, I felt a desire to live. That moment didn’t fix everything. But it started something. It planted a seed.

Recovery Didn’t Begin in a Clinic. It Began in a Conversation.

Hope came through hearing someone else’s story — someone who had made it out and was living free. They didn’t preach. They understood. They showed me that recovery wasn’t about perfection — it was about commitment, compassion, and honesty.

Gabor Maté once said, “The attempt to escape from pain is what creates more pain.” That became my truth. Alcohol wasn’t my real problem — it was my solution. A solution to trauma, shame, fear, and disconnection. But it had stopped working. And it was time to choose differently.

Therapy, Recovery, and Rewiring My Life

I entered treatment. I worked with professionals who helped me understand the neuroscience behind addiction, and the trauma that shaped it. I committed to therapy. I discovered that vulnerability — the thing I had spent decades avoiding — was actually my key to strength.

Brené Brown said it best: “Vulnerability is having the courage to show up and be seen.” I started showing up. For myself. For my healing. For the life I never thought I could have.

The Life I Live Today

Recovery wasn’t a straight path. There were relapses. Grief. Fear. But each time, I got back up — not alone, but supported. I surrounded myself with people who could walk with me. I built structure. I learned regulation. I healed relationships. I became someone I was proud of — not perfect, but real.

Today, I coach others through that same journey. Not from theory — but from lived experience, neuroscience, and trauma-informed practice. I help people break the cycle of addiction, reconnect with themselves, and create lives they actually want to stay sober for.

Why I Do This Work

I don’t believe in shame. I believe in understanding.
I don’t believe in telling you what to do. I believe in walking beside you.
I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all programs. I believe in customized, neuroscience-backed recovery that meets you exactly where you are.

And I believe — with everything in me — that lasting freedom is possible.

Why I Became a Recovery Coach – Where Lived Experience Meets Professional Expertise

I didn’t choose recovery coaching as a career. It chose me — forged through lived experience, hard-earned healing, and a deep calling to help others walk through what I survived.

After spending over 26 years in the cycle of addiction, I know what it feels like to be stuck, ashamed, and hopeless — even when life looks fine on the outside. I fought hard to rebuild myself, and when I finally found freedom, I knew I couldn’t keep what I had learned to myself. But I also knew that lived experience alone wasn’t enough.

So I committed to becoming more than a survivor. I became a student of recovery and human transformation.

A Profession Built on Science, Compassion, and Truth

• I hold a formal education in neuroscience and project management, equipping me with a unique blend of clinical insight and structured coaching methodology.

• I spent over a decade working as a Neuro-Diagnostic Technologist in Canada’s healthcare system at a tertiary-level hospital, supporting individuals and families through some of the hardest days of their lives — including mental health crises, trauma, and end-of-life care.

• In addition, I’ve worked directly with Indigenous governments in remote regions of Canada, helping to identify the mental health and recovery needs of underserved communities and building trust-based, culturally respectful solutions from the ground up.

• I’ve conducted thousands of hours of independent research into addiction recovery, behavioral psychology, codependency, emotional regulation, family systems, and trauma.

• I’ve walked through my own fire — and now I guide others through theirs, combining lived empathy with trauma-informed, neuroscience-backed coaching strategies that actually work.

I Turned Pain Into Purpose — And Now I Help Others Do the Same

I became a recovery coach because I understand what addiction really is — and what it takes to break free. I’ve sat in the silence of relapse. I’ve fought my way back from hopelessness. And I’ve seen firsthand what’s possible when someone receives the right support, with no shame and no judgment.

I coach from a place of clarity, structure, and deep compassion. My job isn’t to fix you — it’s to walk beside you while you take your life back.

What Makes This Coaching Different?

• You won’t get surface-level advice or generic tools.

• You’ll get a science-backed, personalized recovery strategy designed for your real life.

• Whether you're a high-functioning professional, a parent, or someone in early sobriety, I’ll meet you exactly where you are — and help you build something better.

Because recovery isn't about avoiding drinking or using forever — it's about creating a life that feels worth staying sober for.

You’re Not Too Far Gone. You’re Just One Step Away From Support.

If you’re stuck in the cycle — or if you’ve tried everything and nothing has worked — I want you to know something:

You’re not broken. You just need a better map.

Let’s build it together.