Brookhaven Retreat

Everyone’s life is a journey and we will never truly understand something until it actually happens to you. I have always been a big believer in taking care of others but I never had taken the time to truly take care of myself because before kindergarten I experience trauma which had scar me emotionally. The trauma I experienced was not one anyone knew about nor did I at such an early age realize I was detached and shielded from letting anyone completely in. It wasn’t until I was married 11 years with two young children running a fast-pace business realize my journey had hit rock bottom.



I had tired numerous time to seek out counselors for the restlessness I felt inside but the daily demands and schedules kept me from facing my FEAR. I also coped through staying busy all the time to dampen the pain that had been hidden in my soul. I remember calling my doctor the week before Christmas 2012 asking him for recommendation of a place I could go to. My doctors did not have a place he would recommend but he said if I could go somewhere for 4 to 8 weeks or possibly 12 weeks to focus just on me would be ideal. His last words were all that matters is wherever you go it needs to be GOOD place.



I had met a counselor 3 years prior and my first instincts were to call her. When I call her she recommended Brookhaven. I remember sitting down with my husband and I knew I had to go face my fears and stop my running if I wanted to keep my marriage and family together. I will never forget the night I checked into Brookhaven and Jacqueline and her amazing staff welcomed me with loving arms. The courage it took to pack my bags and leave my husband, kids and business was the hardest decision anyone in my situation could of made but now a year later to be able to say I am experiencing freedom of all my mental strongholds that held me down from 4 years-old to 37 years-old is a gift every woman deserves. Brookhaven introduced the basic coping skills that freed me from my feelings of abandonment, fear of being left, fear of being alone, and reinforced the importance of making a schedule for myself daily. Brookhaven’s program provides the fundamentals every woman needs to keep a balance in the world we all are living in. The biggest lesson I learned is no matter where you are in your walk in your life every day is what you make it. In closing I want to reinforce Brookhaven is a GOOD place. I am so thankful Jacqueline and her amazing staff dedicates their time to healing women.