Stories from women who were here
These are alumni words, shared without names or star ratings.
I never thought I’d belong in this forest; that I would flourish in it… This is just the beginning.Women’s Recovery graduate
You have become my Redwood forest
I came here with a tree barely alive, sick with rotting roots… Little did I know I was being planted in a forest of Redwoods… Their roots stretch outward to intertwine with the roots of other Redwoods. Because of their intertwined network of roots, Redwoods rarely fall. They rely on each other… I never thought I’d belong in this forest; that I would flourish in it, that I would be so supported and nourished and in turn could support other trees around me. This is just the beginning.
A whole person
For the first time, I wasn’t just someone’s mom, someone’s partner, or someone’s problem. I was a whole person. This program helped me remember who I was before the trauma, before the self-medicating, before I got lost.
Without judgment or shame
So much of my trauma was rooted in my experience as a woman: my relationships, the way I learned to silence myself, the pressure to hold it all together. In a women’s program, I felt like I could actually talk about it without judgment or shame.
Redwoods rarely fall. Their roots intertwine.
The alumni community keeps room for connection after the program ends.
Because of their intertwined network of roots, Redwoods rarely fall. They rely on each other.Women’s Recovery graduate
Permission
An alumna shares her graduation speech about asking for help, finding community, and reclaiming choice. The story mentions trauma, abuse, and self-harm.
If you can't believe that yet, borrow my hope. Just long enough to find your own.
Women’s Recovery graduate