The Center • A Place of HOPEReviews of aplaceofhope.com

The Center offered me a knowledgeable, caring, and honest group of people. They enabled me to find healing and balance on my life journey. It was also refreshing to connect with others and know that I don't have to struggle alone. There is power in knowledge and strength in numbers.

Before going to The Center I was depressed, hopeless and anxious all day long. I took it out on not only myself but especially on my husband and children. I expected my husband to create my happiness and felt overwhelmed and rent full towards my children. After one week at The Center I had discovered how dependent I had become on my husband and learned to take accountability for this. In addition I started to work on my self esteem issues, worthiness and difficulties I experienced with my children. At first I didn't feel worthy of being in treatment as I hadn't experienced any overt trauma, but The Center changed me and 3 months later I am continuing to thrive with the tools I came away with!

I came to The Center with a "wish list" of sorts. Did I leave with all my wishes coming true? Sadly, no. But, instead, I left with multiple resources and tools to continue the healing and growing process. Even though I was able to work through a few things while there, I actually left there with something more important and foundational than the things on my list. I left with a new sense of worth and self value that I hadn't even noticed was in such a mess. It made a huge difference in being able to handle some of my other issues. In over a year, I have had no suicidal thoughts! I dealt with forgiveness there, as well, and can say that even though circumstances may not change, that forgiveness is solid and holding. Is The Center perfect? No more than we are. I cried and got frustrated and said I was going home for than once. But I am thankful that I didn't let a few things throw me off track. The staff that was there during my stay were all excellent...knowledgable, insightful, and truly caring.

I enrolled in The Center as a husband, father, friend, disciple, and priest whose emotional and spiritual immaturity led to exhaustion, anxiety, and depression. The first week was challenging because I was away from my family, whom I love and depend on very much. I was also concerned about the stigma that would be attached to a 50 year old male who quit his job and needed more help than prescribed medication and a local counselor could provide. Four weeks after enrolling at The Center, I left a much healthier and happier person. The one-on-one sessions, group sessions, readings, and daily assignments helped me to dig and reach the core of my exhaustion and panic. From that vantage point, I was able to build a foundation of skills that I continue to use everyday. The comment that always stuck with me was the I needed to put the world into my recovery, and that my recovery needed to be at the forefront of each day. Just yesterday I found myself falling back into the old traps that led me to The Center in the first place, and I immediately went through my materials and found a worksheet that was a class exercise for moments just like the one I was experiencing. I made myself sit down and complete the worksheet, and by so doing I was able to return to a place of peace and calm. Like anything worthwhile, I have to practice the skills I learned everyday, with no exception: They are as important as the air I breath. The other component that I loved was the spiritual component. A living relationship with Jesus Christ and Scripture are at the heart of how I try to live my life. I also believe that God and prayer are at the heart of The Center, and the staff is very good at not pushing an agenda that might otherwise get in the way of someone's road to recovery. As a result, my faith was renewed and refreshed at The Center. The staff was gentle and affirming with its presentation of God's Word, and they knew exactly how much to administer with each dose 'to feed me and bring me back to life'. At the end of the day, I realized that my road to recovery was no different than the other's who gathered at The Center, people who gathered with a need of hope and a future. I can say that nothing short of a miracle happened in my life over that four week period, and in the process I made some incredible friends and reclaimed my life as it was meant to be lived.

The Center was incredibly helpful to me and the skills learned there are life skills that benefit anyone.

Before The Center: A Place of Hope, I could not differentiate between happiness and joy. Located in the beautiful and serene town of Edmonds, Washington, The Center provides a safe and loving environment for one to begin their own healing journey. The staff at The Center are professional, passionate about helping others and work tirelessly to create a safe environment where one can rediscover their core values. From my very first day I felt seen, heard and cared for by every staff member that I interacted with. Being given a new set of tools to navigate through the ups and downs life throws at me, I have discovered that I have a choice, and I choose JOY. Whether you are struggling with an addiction, depression, past trauma, or needing time to re evaluate your life's path, The Center and their amazing staff are ready to serve you, by meeting you exactly where you are on your healing journey.

My experience with the center is one that lead me down a path of compassion, to learn more about myself and to learn skills to help reshape my life and my interaction with others. I am thankful for a staff that cared for me and believed in me. The name a place of hope is one that fits the Center perfectly.

I unreservedly recommend The Center to anyone struggling with emotional issues, anxiety, depression, no matter the source or cause. They offer an amazing staff that truly cares about you as an individual. Group classes and on-on-one sessions help you identify your core issues and give you the skills to work through them. I found I learned so much from the classes, but also so much invaluable help and guidance from my peers at the Center. If you go in accepting what is offered and are willing to make the changes necessary to get better, I have no doubt you will not regret the choice to come here. For anyone disinclined due to the religious curriculum, let me say that as an agnostic Jew, I had no issues with the program. There is no proselytizing or judgments made about anyone. I am and will be forever grateful for my experience there. And now my wife is entering the program, and I am so excited to see how much she grows and develops coping skills to overcome her own depression, anxiety, feelings of worthlessness and history of panic attacks. If you've tried other programs and been disappointed, you must come to the Center and see for yourself.