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The Center Client Testimonials
Listed below are Success Stories and powerful testimonials from actual clients. Because of confidentiality we have not listed the names of those who wrote these statements.
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| Testimonial Comments | Letters |
Letters by The Center Clients
Personal Letters written to The Center's staff
"I would like to take the time to Thank you for all your help, support and sacrifice for me! My words of gratitude just don't seem to express just how grateful I am for you and the amazing opportunity you have given me.
I would like to first tell you that your program at the Center has changed my life. I knew I was struggling, I felt I needed help but didn't know what help I needed. I felt stuck, alone and hopeless. I had been crying out to God for him to help me out of that place I was in for some time and I believe he answered that cry and used you and all the wonderful people at the Center. When I arrived at the Center it was the first time in months that I felt safe, loved, and hopeful. I learned that I was suffering from depression and had more issues than I thought, ha ha ha. But I was given so many great tools to overcome these. I realized that my thinking of who I was, my self worth, was wrong and distorted. I was sacrificing all my needs, thought I should be strong enough to do it all on my own, " the perfect missionary just needs God and no one else". I learnt that I have needs too, Jesus had people to support him, and I am human. I have always been extremely hard on myself, I was to the point that I felt whatever I did was never enough, my body couldn't rest, I was restless and felt guilty anytime I did anything for myself, bought anything for myself etc. I thought that I needed to suffer like those suffering here. But I have learnt that I need to put on my oxygen mask before I can put on anyone esles'. I need to allow myself to enjoy life, to have my needs met (receive God's blessings), and to take care of myself. I also needed to grieve many losses in my life that I had pushed down inside for so long. And I am dreaming again, I had thrown all my dreams out the window as another sacrifice, but I am dreaming again and this brought such great hope to me. This is just an overview of all that I learned, only the beginning.
I have just begun my journey to healing and overcoming these battles but God has equipped me with many great tools. There are many changes I need to make and I am making but I am trying to take one day at a time and to enjoy the moment I am in. I feel stronger now than I ever have in my entire life.
My experience at the Center is one that I will never forget and will cherish forever. I not only was changed but I had the privilege to watch God change others' lives as well in the 2 short weeks I was there. I grew very close with the other people in treatment there, was so encouraged by them, and had great opportunities to to speak God's truth to them. I could relate to them, felt deep compassion for them, and found it so hard to say goodbye. I found myself looking at them, seeing where they have been, the scars, and could see their great value, I could see them as if I was seeing them through God's eyes. I saw drug addicts who so badly were searching for acceptance with deep emotional and physical scars but saw hope in their eyes, smiles emerging on their faces, and these people becoming who God created them to be and dreaming again. I saw women who suffered from abuse emerging from those deep scars, becoming strong women. I saw people in deep depression, consumed by their thoughts and then smiles and peace filling their faces, hearts and minds.
You have an amazing mission, God is using you all in great ways to heal people. I am praising God for this opportunity I have been given and pray he blesses you and the Center greatly. You have an amazing team there in the Center, very equipped, compassionate, helpful and I could go on and on."
- Natalie
"Hello, my name is Patty. I am a 54 year old woman and on November 23, 2009, I died. I took an overdose of a muscle relaxer and called my brother and said goodbye and then proceeded to call my dad and do the same. My husband took me to the emergency room where I went to sleep and stopped breathing. This was not the first time I had wanted to "just go to sleep," "just get a break from life for a little while," but it will be the last.
Through an exhaustive search process by my children, they found The Center, A Place of Hope.
Now fast forward to December 7th 2009; my life began again. On December 7th, I walked into The Center on Dayton Street in Edmonds Washington a very very broken and scared woman, not knowing what to expect, but knowing that this was my last hope. What I ended up finding there was not my LAST hope, but rather my FIRST hope. My only quest when I went to The Center was to get knowledge about depression and the tools to treat it. What I ended up walking out with after a short 30 day treatment stay was self esteem, inner peace and for the first time in my life, happiness.
For me the key to this success was the whole-person approach to treatment. The Center treats your emotional, spiritual, nutritional, relational, and physical self in order for you to leave a whole person. My days consisted of many hours of one-on-one treatments with various counselors that were handpicked for my particular needs – "My Team" as they were called, and also many group sessions where you got to listen and learn from others that shared your same feelings and challenges.
It meant so much to me to be in a room with others that I didn't have to explain how I was feeling; they were feeling that too, but even more importantly to be "heard." To be acknowledged by counselors that really wanted you to be better, wanted you to succeed. That felt good. Don't get me wrong, this was not an easy, cake walk of a process; it was anything but that. I had to dig in and want to change, want to learn, and want to be free of this life sentence called depression. It meant working sometimes 8 to 10 hours a day on me, on my issues, and be willing to do whatever it took to heal with the guidance of my team.
On January 3, 2010 I flew back to my home and my family a whole, happy woman for the first time in my life. The days and weeks that have followed have not been met without challenges, but with the tools that I learned through my counseling sessions at The Center, I am able to work through them without that dire, "the world is coming to an end" mentality. I now am able to find my truth in a situation and work through it.
I will forever be grateful to my family for finding A Place of Hope and for investing in my life and in my future. MY FUTURE...what wonderful words those are."
Dear _____,
It is with great gratitude and joy that I send you this note.
Most people think that one person can't make a difference in this world. You have made a difference in the lives of so many people-and you have made a difference in mine for which I will be eternally thankful.
Never in my wildest dreams could I ever think that I could feel so "whole". I am, however! I feel "oneness" with myself-no longer disjointed and fragmented. It feels wonderful! I am so free to be!!
I want to thank you again for what you are doing at The Center! Thank you for your vision and your faithfulness to live out your "calling". And thank you for being a true professional-your commitment to excellence in service is highly regarded.
You have influenced me greatly! I hope one day I too will be a true professional!
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