Before I found Melissa, I was haunted with daily anxiety and so afraid of what people would think if they knew I didn’t drink. I was scared to use my name and the word sober in the same sentence! I worried that I'd lose my friends, my social life, and my sense of identity. I worried I would be an outcast at work and that people would talk behind my back. But what I realized is that by embracing sobriety, I gained so much more than I ever could have imagined. I have met some of the greatest people and built some of the most profound, authentic relationships with the foundation of sobriety. I've discovered new passions and purpose, and I've fallen in love with the woman I'm becoming. Melissa gave me life tools to not only navigate sobriety, but also to ride the wave with the ups and downs of life. She provided a judgment-free zone for me to heal and share things I never said aloud before. Melissa gave me the support to overcome my fears and create a life beyond my wildest dreams. In just one year of working with Melissa, I went from debilitating daily anxiety to living with peace in the deepest levels of my soul. It sounds cheesy, but once you find that kind of peace, you never want to go back. On the rare occasion that my anxiety creeps in, I have the tools and the foundation to move through it gracefully. Today, I wake up with gratitude, live fully, and make empowering decisions. I went from earning a middle of the road salary, to 6 figures in less than two years. I bought and decorated my first condo! I travel often and have fun doing things that I thought would be impossible without alcohol. This is just icing the cake. The best gifts are the sense of inner peace, purpose, and soul-level fulfillment I get every day I stay sober. Thank you, Melissa, for helping me create a beautiful inner and outer world for myself.

Melissa's passion for recovery is truly contagious and her unwavering support over the past several years has had a tremendous impact on my ability to live a life sober from drugs and alcohol. She is the human epitome of all the beautiful things that become possible when a person commits their life to sobriety, God, service and human connection. My recovery journey has not been easy – I consistently challenged Melissa throughout our relationship and ultimately struggled to believe that I was capable or worthy of happiness. I was deeply engulfed in issues related to substance abuse and had zero ability to cope with life’s stressors in a healthy, productive way. I spent many years using drugs and alcohol to anesthetize and the idea of a life without substances was essentially incomprehensible. Melissa’s influence and guidance has blessed my life in ways that I did not think were possible. She is a person who leads by example and was able to validate and relate to my experiences in a way that helped diffuse the shame and alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation. She has helped me come to believe that I matter, that I am worthy of love and happiness, and that God has a plan for my life. Melissa’s commitment to my success in recovery has been transformational and words simply cannot express how grateful I am to be able to call her a friend and mentor.

Melissa has been an incredible influence in my life over the past decade. Her wisdom, experience, and dedication as a coach, mentor, and recovering alcoholic have made a profound impact on me. Melissa provided invaluable guidance as I navigated the challenges of having an alcoholic daughter, who eventually sought treatment, embraced AA, and even went on to help others in similar situations. Melissa also played a pivotal role in referring my ex—who I share a daughter with—to a rehabilitation center. This decision transformed his life, enabling him to embrace sobriety and become a more present and mindful father. What continues to amaze me is Melissa’s unwavering commitment to her own sobriety and the countless individuals she has mentored along her journey. Melissa's discipline, compassion, and dedication to honoring the recovery process are truly inspiring. I’m incredibly grateful for the positive changes she has helped bring into my life and the lives of so many others.

When I met Melissa, I was new to sobriety and Chicago. I was committed to being sober, but had no idea how to navigate my recovery and had very few resources that I could look to for guidance. From our very first meeting, I trusted Melissa; she was remarkably kind, incredibly supportive, and candid in a way that made me feel safe and seen. She helped me take stock of my challenges, establish goals, and gave me tools to create manageable ways to tackle them. She held me accountable to these goals, but did so with empathy and encouragement. My recovery journey has been unpredictable and challenging, but Melissa’s support is unwavering. She has been by my side for the lows- sitting bedside in hospitals with me while I wait for family or answering calls when I am wracked with anxiety- and cheering me on with genuine enthusiasm for even the smallest of wins. In addition to her support, the greatest gift that Melissa has given me is community. She has unparalleled access, insight and connections within the recovery field in Chicago. With Melissa’s recommendations and referrals, I found the meetings, therapists, treatment programs, doctors and friends that have radically changed my life. Having her in my corner not only enabled me to surround myself with the right people, she also helped me overcome my fear of seeking help when I am struggling. I now have an incredible support system that I know I can lean on when life inevitably throws me a new challenge. I started out overwhelmed, isolated and hopeless. Today, I feel capable, connected, and cared for. Melissa is more than a Recovery Coach to me, she is a lifeline. I am so grateful to have found her, and would highly recommend her to anyone that’s going through the trials and triumphs of recovery.

I was 15 when I was first introduced to alcohol. I tried cocaine at 16 and my drug use escalated to methamphetamine and a whole host of other substances. By the time I was 19, I was living in a trailer and associating with members of a known motorcycle gang. My “bottom” lowered faster than I could redefine it. Following my 2nd treatment, I was keeping secrets and manipulating truths. I started believing that I was only “a drug addict” and that alcohol wasn’t my issue. I met Melissa following a serious car accident. She was engaging, funny, kind and honest. When I got serious about wanting help, Melissa was my first call. She helped me navigate the next steps and start my new life in sobriety. She connected me to treatment services at Hazelden and helped me with my insurance. After detox and inpatient treatment, I asked Melissa for help. She agreed and I know without her, my sobriety and life would look much different. I firmly believe that God saved me, through her. Melissa made me feel safe and accepted, and coached me on how to find the next “right thing” to do. She helped me align my words with my actions and morals! Melissa helped me find a therapist and other specialists (a clinician that helped with my traumatic brain injury after the car accident), patiently listened and never gave up on me. Two of the most important things that Melissa taught me were to show up even when I don’t want to and how to be honest. There is so much freedom in the truth. Living by example, she showed me how to be a woman of integrity and grace. Today, I am a little over 6.5yrs sober. My life is full of the gifts of sobriety. Some of those gifts are external, but the most important ones are internal. I am no longer ashamed of who I am. My decisions are based on the woman I want to be and not the woman I was. I was blessed to have two of the most beautiful little girls. They’ve never experienced me on alcohol or drugs and because of sobriety I get to be the mom that they deserve. Melissa is still very much a part of my life. She has walked alongside me through the best and worst days of my life in sobriety. Through it all, I have not had to take a drink based on the sober and spiritual foundation that was built while working with her. I am endlessly grateful.

Alcohol was my closest, most intimate partner who was always there for me. I had a good job, kept getting promotions, had an apartment, was financially self-sufficient, no arrests/DUI’s, etc. But I was stuck in this cycle of depression and anxiety that wasn’t getting any better or showing any signs of moving towards healing. Very slowly, I realized that I couldn’t keep going on like this. This realization me so f*****g angry. During this time, Melissa was a safe person who I could be myself with. My angry, miserable, cynical self. I never once felt judged or like a project she was trying to “fix.” She was just there with me, supporting me, and helping me take steps towards a better, fuller life. I’ve been sober for almost 10 years now, and I never could have imagined how full my life is now. I’m actually happy. I hadn’t known what that feels like. I’m not saying I don’t still struggle with depression/anxiety or that life is all rainbows and puppies.. Melissa has taught me how to weather all the sh*t and revel in the beauty. She’s helped me quiet the inner monologue that tells me that I don’t deserve anything good. She taught me how to use life tools that have transformed my inner monologue and given me peace of mind. She’s worked with me through trauma and deep wounds that fed my depression and anxiety. Her wisdom, guidance, and unconditional support have changed my life and I am forever grateful for her.