Author: lenashook

“I am so grateful for Lena. She taught me grounding and breathing techniques that have really helped me out during my triggers. She is very easy to talk to, super sweet, and caring. She’s very informative and I have enjoyed my time with her. I wish I had more, but I’m happy with what time I have had. Thank you very much.” ~~ Domestic Violence Survivor RR, 11/15/22

Oftentimes it surprises my clients when I tell them…”You deserve to live your life. You can have your own hobbies, interests, and friends. You can go to the store, etc, whenever you want.” Many times I get a similar response….”Wait…. What?? I can do these things? And I don’t have to ASK??”

Some have been so conditioned by the abuser that it comes as a complete shock when they realize that they do not have to ask permission before making a decision or doing something on their own. I love the moment when I hear their disbelief turn into a new -found determination.

“You are not the darkness you endured. You are the light that refused to surrender.” ~~ John Mark Green

“I painted all the walls in my house dark. Deep dark shades that made me feel safe and protected….hidden away like a squirrel in a nest. Deep dark shades that I now realize were also a reflection of the storm that was my life. The confusion. The fear. The self-doubt. The uncertainty that hovered over every day.

But now? Now I crave color. I crave sunlight. Because now my soul is free. I can breathe. I am not afraid.”

~~ Domestic Violence Survivor

“Even now, as broken as you may feel, you are still so strong. There’s something to be said for how you hold yourself together and keep moving, even though you feel like shattering. Don’t stop. This is your healing. It doesn’t have to be pretty or graceful. You just have to keep going.”

~~ Maxwell Diawuoh

“Has he ever trapped you in a room and not let you out?
Has he ever raised a fist as if he were going to hit you?
Has he ever thrown an object that hit you or nearly did?
Has he ever held you down or grabbed you to restrain you?
Has he ever shoved, poked, or grabbed you?
Has he ever threatened to hurt you?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then we can stop wondering whether he’ll ever be violent; he already has been.”
― Lundy Bancroft, Author of Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton