Alumni Stories

Stories of hope and courage

Stephanie’s story 

“My husband and I found The Whitestone Clinic shortly after the crisis of discovery, and I didn’t know what to expect. The first talk was on “Forgiveness”, which almost made me laugh because I thought it wasn’t what I needed at that moment, but I stayed for the talk anyway and was surprised how much of it felt like it spoke to me personally. I looked forward to each of the next weeks’ sessions and have gotten wonderful nuggets of information from each one. It gave me confidence knowing that The Whitestone Clinic was the place for my husband and I to both pursue our own healing and ultimately, the healing of our marriage.”

Pierre’s story:

“I felt I had no place to turn. My back was up against the wall, by my own doing, and I didn’t know who to turn to, or where to go. I was addicted to drugs and sex, I felt empty, and I lost everything. My marriage, my house, even my dog. I didn’t see any light on the horizon and was sinking deeper and deeper. Then I found The Whitestone Clinic. I was treated with respect. The staff were all very nice and they are so great with clients. I had a beautiful experience and after some hard work, I’m feeling good about my future, one day at a time. Thank you all.”

Kate’s story: 

“Love this place. I didn’t at first, haha, but the staff were so patient they guided me through my issues really easily. I understand everyone has their own experiences, but honestly, being a patient at The Whitestone Clinic has really helped me in so many ways. The peer support was awesome and because they all have lived experiences with mental health, they are very encouraging and kind. Great staff and people!”

Shaun’s story:

“At age 24, I started going downhill really fast. Everything seemed to be too much of an effort to care about.  I could not get control of any part of my life, and I started acting out in ways that I had never done before. I just didn’t care about myself anymore”

 

Through regular therapy visits to The Whitestone Clinic, Shaun was able to achieve a level of recovery.

 

“The center has played a huge part in not only my life, but my recovery. It took a lot to get to this point and I know in my heart that if it hadn’t been for the staff at The Whitestone Clinic, I wouldn’t be here today. Yes, I did the work to get here, but they are the ones who pushed me, even carried me when I needed it. Thank you.”  

 

Scott’s story:

 

“I have my symptoms under control and I am stable now, but I wasn’t always this way. I was a mess! Addiction had a hold of me and I could not shake it alone. I didn’t believe in myself. It took a huge effort on my part to want to learn how to get better, and an even bigger effort to actually do it, and not just talk about it. I talked about recovery for years. But it was just talk. When it finally came time for action, I had some people introduce me to The Whitestone Clinic. Nobody ever told me that recovery was going to be easy, but they did tell me that it would be worth every ounce of hard work that I put into it. And they were right.”

Karl’s story

“Recovery is possible for everyone because it is defined by the person doing it, not what they are recovering from. There is no right or wrong way to recover. It is about building a life in spite of having a mental illness. Because depression impacted my life in such a major way, I never thought that I would be able to have a life. I was hospitalized numerous times, lost my apartment, job, and filed for bankruptcy. I even had to move back in with my parents.”

Through The Whitestone Clinic’s individual and group therapy, I learned new skills to manage and cope with my emotions, and better tolerate emotional distress. 

“I’m working again, and learning that a fulfilling life has ups and downs, successes and failures, dreams and hopes.”