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Testimonials

Holiday Destination

"Margaret tried very hard to help me beat my alcoholism. While living on the street, I met someone special that I married. Her family did not approve of a homeless alcoholic. Margaret worked with us as a couple on teaching us to talk about our problems & to work on healthy solutions.

 

We had sessions with my wife's parents that started with us screaming at each other from across the room.

As a counselor, she was good at seeing things from all sides & helping us find common ground. Most of all, she encouraged us to love each other rather than fight all the time. Our marriage wasn't perfect, but it was much better after these sessions."
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Ralph D.
Image by sydney Rae
"I worked with Maggie several times a month for about a year. My life was a mess. Recovering drug addict, my children had been taken away, recently released from prison, no money & no hope, and finding love again seemed impossible. We discussed my problems and solutions, setting goals, starting over, and how to learn from my past mistakes. She believed in me & encouraged me to be a better person.
 
Working with Maggie, I learned to make better decisions, focus on what was important, hold myself accountable, and forgive & accept myself. My self-confidence increased and my relationship with my girlfriend is much better. I've reestablished contact with my children & my parents. I'm not sure I could have done this alone. I highly recommend Maggie."
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Jerome P.
Smooth Skin
"Maggie is one of the best substance abuse counselors I've ever worked with. I'm a recovering alcoholic & pill pusher struggling to create a new life for myself. I have trust issues, manipulation & control have become normal & my relationship with my long-time partner was a constant fight. I knew little about boundaries and nothing about how to take care of myself.
 
The main thing that I learned from Maggie was the importance of self-care and how to make this a priority. I could talk to her about anything. She understood, related to me, motivated me, and helped me set new goals. She gave me assignments to do, held me accountable, and pushed me to be my best. Our meetings were the highlight of my week."
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Carol R.
Image by Fuu J
"For about a year, I met weekly with Margaret. I'm on disability and being with others is hard. I grew up in a Christian family that gave me all that I wanted, but I never felt loved or accepted. After a few months, I was able to talk about things that I had never shared with anyone. My father sexually abused me from age four till junior high.
 
Margaret helped me understand all the anger & hurt I felt. I had always wanted to confront my father & mother but was afraid. After many sessions, I decided to talk with my father. For months, we practiced what I would say, my reactions, and my responses. One weekend, with my mother in the room, I told my father how much I hated him for what he did to me. This was a hard day, but I felt good for finally standing up to him. This changed our relationship & my father said he did not want me in his life."
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Anonymous
Image by Davide Cantelli
"When I was referred to Maggie, I had lost respect for Christians and the church. I even questioned my personal faith & and whether God was real. Several things had brought me to this point - struggling with addiction, fighting to keep my kids, a divorce, and an accident that almost took my life.
 
During this time, I needed and expected so much, especially from my church and from God. But what I received was criticism & judgment. Some even implied if I had attended church & prayed more instead of living a "sinful" life that these bad things probably would not have happened. So I slammed the door, vowing never to enter again. I had questions about meeting with Maggie remotely, but it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. She shared that she grew up with many ministers in her family & had experienced problems with the church.
 
In our sessions, we discussed why it is normal when you have a faith-related crisis. With her guidance, I learned to look less at others and more toward God. Through personal time reading my Bible & praying I let go of the resentment I felt toward others and opened my heart to how God used these experiences for my good. If you are struggling with your faith, I highly recommend Maggie."
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Alice J.
Image by Ben White
"A friend recommended Maggie when I was struggling with the death of many family members in a short period. I'm a middle-aged woman with grown children & grandchildren. I had four aunts who I'd always been close to. They all had children & most of their children were involved in drugs. In the past year two of my aunts died from health-related causes & two of my nephews died from overdoses.
 
I've always been the peacemaker in the family and the helper, the one that everyone turns to. I was overwhelmed with the problems, the costs, the plans, and the services, but most of all, with emotions. I started getting sick, I couldn't sleep, I cried all the time, I was angry & sad and for the first time in my life I couldn't fix all of this.
 
Talking with Maggie weekly helped enormously. She has a tremendous amount of life experiences, even one year working at a cemetery as a grief counselor. She helped me take one problem/emotion at a time and explore ways to deal with them. She offered practical solutions, and taught me much about the grief process. She was a soft shoulder to cry on, someone to listen to when life made no sense. If you are overwhelmed with grief & can't find your way out of the fog Maggie is a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day."
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Caroline M.
Image by Ronnie Overgoor
"It is very difficult for me to talk with a counselor. I grew up in a wonderful family that provided well for me, but I was a rebellious teen. I left home early & did many things that I now regret. There were multiple relationships, children with different fathers, drug use, and prostitution. Margaret never made me feel ashamed. Occasionally, she shared bits of her personal story with me.
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It was comforting to work with a counselor who had experienced things similar to mine. As a coach, she taught me to set goals, to put more thought & prayer into the decisions I made, and helped me better understand myself. If you are struggling with guilt, shame, anger, and low self-esteem, I highly recommend Margaret as a coach and counselor."
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Heather K.
A Supportive Hug

"I first met Ms. Margaret at a homeless shelter in Wilmington. I was living on the street, drinking & doing drugs. Every night I came to the shelter to eat, shower & sleep. She was soft-spoken & always kind to everyone. We met again at a storm shelter after Hurricane Florence. She was working with a ministry that provided housing for the homeless community. With her help, I got housing, and she connected me to other agencies that provided the care that I needed. Wherever I went, she was always there. I called her my angel. With her help, I applied for permanent housing with the state. Today I have a small rental house. I've replaced much of what I lost while living on the street, and I've become part of a neighborhood again. I no longer do drugs. 

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Ms. Margaret provided service to me in my home & anywhere else in the community as needed. She always went above what was required. Taking me to the nursing home to visit my mother, to the laundromat, to buy groceries & cat food, to the library, and occasionally out to eat. Often giving me money for bus fare so that I could get to the food bank or doctor's office. Many times we spoke of God & she always encouraged me to have a relationship with him. 

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She is one of the main reasons that I got through this difficult time in my life. I'm thankful that she was my Peer Support Specialist & Drug Counselor. I'm happy to learn that she is now a chaplain & working on her own. I've witnessed God working in her life since that night years ago when we met at the shelter."

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Michele S.

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