Stories Of Help and Hope.
Every day individuals come to CFLR, Inc. for a variety of reasons. Every client has their own story. Join us in celebrating the gift of recovery. To make a donation to CFLR, Inc. to continue to make recovery possible, visit our Giving page. Please consider being a Voice of Recovery via our Speaker’s Bureau Program. Contact CFLR, Inc. for more information on this opportunity.
Parenting help.
A client recently started coming to CFLR, Inc. for help with parenting. This client had been doing things the same way at home for years, and was growing increasingly more frustrated when her children would not listen. The client needed some fresh ideas. After coming on a weekly basis and taking parenting classes, the client tried applying some of the simple techniques at home. By the final class, she was pleased to share that her toddler seemed happier and was now listening to Mommy.
Navigating life.
A client came to the Employee Assistance Program because they felt stressed. The client is transitioning their gender identity. The client identifies as a male, yet has the physical body of a female. This disconnect has caused the client a great deal of grief in family life-the client’s family is in denial of the client’s wishes to be treated as a male. The client visited EAP for two sessions and that was all he needed to feel a little better. “Just talking made me feel better. It helped to have a safe place to talk things out.”
My Compeer mentoring friendship has allowed me opportunities to open my heart in ways that I didn’t know were possible. Through naturally occurring life moments my Compeer friend and I have built a life-long friendship. I’ve seen her become more outgoing; enjoy conversation; and even participate in events and activities with others which has enabled her to make some connections that she would never have had.
After receiving a few lessons of the school-based Second Step evidence based program that CFLR, Inc. provides, a student was eager to inform the facilitator of a situation that arose where he was frustrated and he was able to use the Calming Down Steps he had learned from Second Step lessons to calm down and not make the situation worse. The student was very proud of himself for applying the steps.
Healthy marriage.
A couple met with an Counselor to talk about their marriage. Things had been rocky. The two of them had been arguing and could not seem to agree on much. Having access to a counselor that would listen and help them explore their thoughts was later able to help the couple to have a breakthrough. They are still together and their bond was strengthened. They credit the counseling sessions as having helped them through “a very difficult time in the marriage.”
Recovery & moving forward.
A woman made an appointment for counseling. She had never been to a Counselor before and wasn’t sure what to expect. She had recently been through a very difficult divorce and while she now felt independent and much happier overall without the negative daily influence of a spouse, she found herself mourning having a significant other in her life. By coming in for counseling she was able to work through some of the issues associated with this and celebrate her new-found life and explore a new relationship post-marriage.
A teenager was struggling with her sexual orientation and was facing down depression as a result. She was nervous about coming out to her family as a lesbian. Her father already knew she was gay and brought her in for counseling because of her depression symptoms, hopeful that a counselor could help her talk about her feelings with the family. After attending several individual counseling sessions she was able to then talk with her family openly about her sexual orientation and receive her family’s support as a lesbian. She is now happily in a relationship with her girlfriend that her father lovingly supports. “Counseling for me provided a safe space to talk about issues I was nervous about facing,” she stated.
A terrible breakup left a client with the wreckage of devastation. She felt lost and alone without her significant other. Meeting bi-weekly with a counselor gave her the space needed to talk about her loss and to move forward.
A mother of a recovering heroin addict attended a heroin/opiate panel discussion hosted by CFLR, Inc. She shared with the facilitators the following, “It is wonderful for CFLR, Inc. to help to get the word out to the community about the dangers of awful drugs like heroin. I know coming here tonight helped me to see how many people and families are dealing with this awful addiction and it gives me hope to see that if we work together we can battle this problem.”
An employee had tested positive for controlled substances at his workplace after a long weekend of partying. His supervisor, as per their workplace policy, had referred him to the Employee Assistance Program at CFLR, Inc. Reluctantly, the employee made an appointment to attend the counseling sessions, even though he felt at the time that he didn’t have a problem and that this was a one-time thing for him. Over time he opened up about a history of using drugs to feel better and manage his anxiety. “Counseling ended up saving my life,” he shared, “it turns out that I really did need help, but I was too scared to do it for myself.” The Employee Assistance Program connected him with treatment that allowed him to return to work with his clean drug-screens and to get the help and support he needed to celebrate this month five months of sobriety.
Help for families.
A client had a teenage son who was in and out of trouble with both school and at home. Frustrated, this father ran out of ideas and brought the family in for counseling together. By talking through their differences and receiving feedback from the counselor, the family and son are now better able to navigate daily life.
An Army of Hope in the Epidemic
It’s no secret in our country we are facing an opioid epidemic. We know people are overdosing and dying in the depths of their addiction. It’s easy, now, for society to focus on those who have struggle with addiction, at the same time, society isn’t always so sure about what to do with the rest of us. We are the ones whose lives have been impacted by someone we love with addiction. Sometimes we forget to talk about the survivors of the overdoses, the warriors who had Narcan and saved lives, those who maintain hope for Recovery, and the loved ones who grieve and celebrate lives in memory after a loss. It’s often we also don’t realize just how many people we know that make it in Recovery. Click here to read the full article.
