At Brass Tacks Recovery, our responsibility is to help the family navigate a path to healing. We understand and educate our families on how family system dynamics either help or harm a deep healing process for their loved one. Our intention is to alleviate the emotional stress that comes from dealing with mental health challenges. Our goal is to support the family and client in strategic action-based ways through every restorative stage, from pre-intervention, through treatment and on to aftercare. We help the client and family plan, acclimate, and integrate into a short- or long-term healing process and recovery -based lifestyle, regardless of how hopeless their situation may seem.

Brass Tacks Recovery knows how important the family is. We believe that we can bring about a dynamic shift in how individuals heal, change, and integrate healthier habits. We work side by side with the family and the client to address needs that may not otherwise be realized.

The truth is that my brokenness has become my strength. I never imagined that the trauma of addiction and abandonment I experienced in childhood would be the fire that would shape my ability to help families heal. Having lived through these challenges firsthand, I know how painful it is to watch someone you love struggle with addiction or mental health issues. My personal losses have fueled my commitment to becoming the expert I wish I’d had in my own life.

As a child, I lost my biological mother to alcoholism and addiction. Growing up in a dysfunctional family, I faced developmental trauma that shaped my early years. Despite being an honor student with much potential, I began using drugs and alcohol at the age of 12, unable to cope with my emotions. My addiction eventually overtook my academic pursuits, leading me to drop out of college after my first semester. For a while, I lived in my car, moving from one couch to another to survive. In search of a solution, I enlisted in the U.S. Army at 19, hoping the military could change me. Instead, my alcoholism worsened.

I am deeply driven to love and support individuals and families impacted by alcoholism, chemical dependency, and the trauma that often paralyzes them. I have an intimate understanding of the overwhelming feelings of defeat and hopelessness these challenges can bring. My life’s mission is to create innovative solutions that foster real, lasting transformation for both individuals and their families. These methods must emphasize long-term healing, recovery, and sustainable change.

I have personally experienced the shackles of addiction and the painful consequences of unhealthy choices. I remember the fear and helplessness in the faces of my family as they watched me decline for years. In the grip of addiction, I lost my roles as a daughter, sister, and, most painfully, as a mother. Addiction deceived me, leading me to unknowingly abandon everything I held dear. The guilt of this abandonment only deepened my addiction as time passed.

I have always felt a strong calling to work with people, which naturally led me to the field of mental health. With over 16 years of personal recovery, I am now privileged to help others discover the same freedom that has allowed me to build and maintain the fulfilling life I enjoy today.

Addiction has run through my family for at least three generations. Raised by a single mother who worked tirelessly to provide for me and my sister, we were fortunate to attend private school and learned early the value of hard work and a strong moral foundation.

In my late twenties, I got married and started a family, with two beautiful children, a fulfilling job, and the quintessential house with a white picket fence. However, when my son was diagnosed with a terminal illness, the emotional pain that followed magnified my struggles with substance abuse. After his brief yet precious life, I spiraled deeper until I sought treatment and began my recovery journey from both trauma and addiction. Therapy and my ongoing commitment to a 12-step program have been essential not only to my healing but to the support I offer others.