Susan Hastie has walked alongside me for the better part of 10 years.

When she met me I was steeped in addiction, in denial about the state of my own life, and heading down a path where I would have lost everything. 

Susan’s gentle yet firm approach and relentless commitment to being a safe/trusted person allowed me to open up and take the hard road of recovery.  She truly cares deeply about others.  I have a hard time trusting people but Susan is a very trustworthy person.  I honestly believe that if Susan had not come into my life when she did, I would not be here today.  I was a broken man full of shame, trauma, pain, and was often considering suicide.  Susan helped me to come out of denial, get sober, do good recovery, face the abuse in my childhood, and reconnect with myself and others.  I have learned and am still learning to process all the emotions from my past and from my day to day life in a healthy way, facing them head on and not running from them.  I feel like I have been freed from the trauma of my childhood and from the control addiction had over my life.  I am a work in progress but I am incredibly grateful for Susan.  Susan has supported me every step of the way and I am proud to say through a lot of hard work and struggle (and therapy sessions), I have been sober and in recovery for 9 years now (and counting!).  In my opinion, to really recover from abuse and/or addiction, you need someone like Susan to walk with you. I am forever grateful for where I am today which is in a large part due to Susan’s input in my life (she never gave up on me)!

Anonymous Client

I am healthier because I have worked with Susan.

I feel safe with her, and I know my heart and soul are safe with her – she holds my sadness, my shame, my worries, my panic, my aloneness... in ways I have rarely, if ever, experienced.

That’s a big deal for me. I trust her because she is direct, honest, consistent, and patient. And she makes me laugh.

My first impression was here is a therapist who is very well-read, perceptive, compassionate and wise. She was recommended to me as an expert who could help with our son’s recent disclosure of “a problem with pornography”. I was embarrassed, disappointed, and scared by his news. I felt like a total failure as a mom. I was desperate for help and felt completely overwhelmed. 

I had no idea just how important the journey we were embarking on was. Not only did the “problem” end up being an addiction, but the road to recovery has been harder, longer and more work than I ever imagined. My son’s progress and maturing has been worth the costs of time, money, and effort.

Along the way, I discovered one of my biggest fears was true: I was part of “the problem”. I needed help not only for my son but for me. Susan’s questions, teaching, empathy, and patience have helped me gradually find courage to face my own traumas and brokenness, to set aside time for my pain and my healing. She helps me find clarity amidst chaos and confusion. She equips me with tools to feel the emotions I would rather avoid, to see reality I would rather deny and to share vulnerable parts of my story I would rather mask. I am learning better ways of connecting to myself, to others and even to God. 

The road that began with hope for help for my son has become a road of discovery and transformation for me. One baby step at a time. And sometimes steps backward. I trust the recovery process more now. There is hope for healing from trauma. I can unlearn patterns of behavior. I can learn new ways of responding to chaos. And I can stop trying to be perfect and keep everyone around me comfortable. 

It is a miracle I was led to Susan. She holds space for my pain, my insecurities and my mistakes. And she also holds space for my excitement, wonder and gratitude.

Anonymous Client

I entered counseling with the expectation that my trauma would be used for a professional’s financial gain.

I was astonished to discover that Susan authentically cared and was willing to stick with me through a long, difficult, and ultimately rewarding journey to healing.

 My now ex-husband is still reeling at the changes he’s seen since Susan taught me how to be assertive.

Unresolved trauma has a way of knocking you down no matter how hard you try to stand. Susan’s empathy and unparalleled expertise [in childhood sexual abuse] has changed the entire trajectory of my life.  **You can keep or take out "childhood sexual abuse."

 It’s uncanny how, in what sometimes feels like a world full of abusers, one counselor can restore your faith in humanity.

Susan gave me a rare gift: the truth, spoken with great compassion.

Anonymous Client