Hello, I'm Bree, and this is my story.

I am the daughter of a codependent father and an emotionally absent mother. My parents split up when I was ten, which is when my father began emotionally neglecting me in pursuit of romantic relationships, while physical and emotional abuse from my mother began.

By 14, I was in full fight or flight mode and had turned to drugs, alcohol, self-harm, and promiscuity to cope. This led to decades of addiction, codependency, and continued abuse from chosen partners and peers. I was constantly abandoning myself, and I was oblivious to all of it.

Before this work, I spent nearly two decades in the service industry as a bartender. If you've worked in that world, you know how toxic it can be, and I fit right in with the chaos. Not once did anyone who knew me think I had a problem with my substance use, as I was right in step with my peers when it came to heavy drinking, drugging, and debauchery.

In 2019, a life-long friend of mine lost her sister to chronic ethanolism at the young age of 31. I'd known her since she was 10, and losing her was the wake-up call that I needed to slow down and take better care of myself. But, I was still very much in denial about the severity of my own substance use.

In 2020, I quit the bar business due to burnout and took a break right before COVID hit and the world was locked down. With no work and an abundance of free time, my plans for improved self-care failed, and over the next year, my drinking and drug use got worse instead of better.

I came across a recovery program for abuse survivors and signed up. The first thing I learned was the Cycle of Addiction, and that's when it hit me. I'd been spiraling through that cycle faster and faster throughout the course of 25 years. I worked through the coursework while working the 12 Steps with a sponsor, attending therapy, and finally learning how to properly care for myself. My recovery date is 9/18/2020 and I have over 5 years in recovery.

Today, I’m a trauma informed certified abuse and addiction recovery coach (CARC). I've been coaching since 2022 and have supported hundreds of clients on their recovery journeys. In addition to my lived experience, I'm trained in 12-step, SMART Recovery, Recovery International, harm reduction, and other peer support programs and healing modalities. I've been a member of The TAAP and NAADAC since 2024, continuing my education and holding to their Code of Ethics.