Charter Oak Family Center, LLC

Charter Oak Family Center, LLC Providing Psychotherapy services to everyone/anyone in the family, as needed.

We use Cognitive Processing Therapy, for PTSD, Play Therapy for kids of all ages, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and more.

Grace and I had the privilege of presenting at the Statewide Care Coordinator Meeting. A great group of people engaged i...
10/15/2025

Grace and I had the privilege of presenting at the Statewide Care Coordinator Meeting. A great group of people engaged in a conversation about su***de prevention. It was an honor to be a part of the meeting.

10/07/2025

Maybe you’re the one who needs this today.

Su***de lies.
It says you don’t matter.
That no one would miss you.
That it’ll never get better.

But here’s the truth:
You matter.
You are needed.
It can get better—even if it doesn’t feel that way right now.

Call someone.
Call 988.
Call a therapist.
Walk into a hospital if you have to. Yeah, it might suck—but if it keeps you here, it’s worth it.

I’m going to show my age for a second. Hawkeye (Alan Alda) on MASH*, talking about death, once said:
“Don’t let the bastard win.”
Please — don’t let the bastard win.

***de ***derecovery

09/02/2025

September is su***de prevention month

Su***de lies. You already know that. It whispers: “You’re the problem. You’re a burden. Nobody would miss you. Their lives would be better without you.”
Su***de had me convinced that if I died, my family might cry for a week—but then forget me. Even today, when su***de shows up, I have to remind myself: those messages are all lies.

Here’s the hard part: when urges hit, the last thing I want to do is reach out. But that’s exactly when it matters most. Tell someone I trust directly challenges the lie that nobody cares.

The scariest place for me is what I call the place of “quiet reserve.” It’s where I need connection the most—and want it the least. That silence is dangerous. And connection can help me stay—and crack the door open to hope.

Another lie says asking for help is weakness. The truth? Asking for help is one of the most courageous actions you can take. And remember, asking for help cracks open the door for hope.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call 988, 911, or go to the nearest emergency room.

I know—it sounds like a hallmark moment when I say there’s there’s life beyond this. But here’s the thing: sometimes clichés are true. Call it Hallmark if you want—it’s still real. ***de

08/18/2025

Real Strength

The exhaustion is palpable.
Heavy, dark eyes.
Contagious yawns.
Crying.
Discussing a struggle that feels impossible.
Do you see the strength here?

We pray for the pain to stop.
We feel like it’s inescapable.
We’re sure things will never change.
Yet we face another day.
We trudge forward—spent, hopeless, still moving.
Can you see our strength here?

Do you see our resilience,
a tenacity many can’t understand?
Someone once said,
“On paper, you look like a s**t show.”

But what about the semicolon moment—
those times when we don’t end the sentence,
even when everything in us wants to.

And here’s the truth:

Our semicolon moments aren’t always dramatic.
They don’t come with revelations or clarity.
Sometimes they look like being still
when everything in us is screaming to give up.

They look like combat breathing—
slow, deliberate, in and out—
while the chaos keeps coming,
while the pain is still present,
while we’re expected to respond like we’re not drowning.

We are not catapulted out of struggle.
We are still in it.
And yet we choose, again and again, to hold our ground.
That is what strength looks like.
That is what determination looks like.
Do you see it now?
The grit in us.
The resilience in us.
The strength in us.
Do you see it?

08/06/2025

The alarm rings, again.
Loud.
Ear‑piercing.
It tells me I’m in danger.
I react — maybe without thinking.
My body tenses.
My breathing goes shallow.
The fire inside me explodes outward.
Cannonballs fly.
The flamethrower roars.
And then—
The smoke,
the smoke I created,
begins to clear.
And I see it.
The mess in front of me.
My fault.
This has happened many times.
I explode.
Leaving hurt feelings,
ashes where relationships once stood.
Some have stayed.
Called BS.
And I love them for that —
even if, in the moment, not so much.
Some have left.
Maybe by choice.
Maybe because I pushed them out.
Their ashes burn hotter.
And I still love them.
For their constant reminder:
stop scorching people.
Because every person —
no matter who they are,
or what they mean in my life —
deserves the respect
of not being burned.
If you or someone you know is in crisis please call 988, 911, or go to the nearest hospital. You matter and you matter more than you might realize

07/29/2025

For many years, I thought there was something inherently wrong with me.
I searched for that “malfunctioning” piece I could somehow “fix.”
Back then, I believed that I was broken.
But then came neuroscience.
And peer support.
And a community that showed me the truth looked very different.
Here’s what I know now:
You are not too complex.
You are not too dark.
You are not a risk to be managed —
You are definitely not broken
or damaged.
Your brain adapted.
It kept you alive.
It fought, maybe when you couldn’t.
You are a person to be honored.
A person to be treated with
Love and respect.
I see your story.
I see the courage it took to even whisper it.
You are
A life.
A light.
A voice.
You are a warrior —
even on the days you don’t feel it.
If you or someone you know is struggling with urges to su***de, call 988, dial 911, reach out to your therapist, or go to the emergency room.

I should not be here.And yet—here I am. I could have been institutionalized, could have been homeless, might have been a...
07/23/2025

I should not be here.
And yet—here I am. I could have been institutionalized, could have been homeless, might have been arrested and yet, by the grace of God and by the relentless work of people who didn’t give up on me...
I am part of a team that gets to stand in front of the Connecticut National Guard twice, and speak about su***de prevention.
To be here, doing this work, with this team… it’s not just an honor it is a dream come true. And, the time - military time, of course. :-) ***de

07/21/2025

Welcome.
If you’re here because something I wrote landed with you—thank you for stopping by.
Charter Oak Family Center is a therapy practice grounded in real recovery and lived experience.
You don’t need to have it all figured out.
You’ve already done hard things just by showing up.
We believe your mind and body responded exactly the way they needed to, based on what you’ve lived through.
And now, together, we can work toward something new.
I see you.
The strength. The exhaustion.
And yes—even the hope,
even if it’s not clear to you right now.
You’re welcome here.

07/21/2025

Your Brain Didn't Get the Memo:
You are rewriting your story—and it takes time.
Allowing yourself room to breathe.
Giving yourself some forgiveness.
Learning how to slow things down.
These are all part of the re-writing process.
You won’t get it “right” all the time.
And you don’t have to.
You are so worth working on.
You’re fully human.
And you are in the process of rewriting your life narrative.
When it gets hard—and it will get hard—
Remember: you are worth it.
On the good days. On the bad ones. All of them.
So please—stay with it.

07/18/2025

Why Wouldn’t We Believe It?
At my first lived experience committee meeting, everyone introduced themselves by sharing their experience with su***de. That’s heavy enough on its own.
But what stuck with me was what came after.
One by one, people added:
"And can you believe I’m a singer?"
"Can you believe I have my degree?"
"Can you believe I’m a poet?"
As I listened, all I could think was: Why wouldn’t we believe?
Why wouldn’t we believe that someone who’s lived through darkness could also carry greatness?
For me, it’s singing. It’s humor. It’s still growing — still finding new things to say: “That’s my greatness.” ***de

07/17/2025

Adapted, Not Broken.

I used to hear it all the time: “I’m strong in the broken places.”
I understood why people said it. I even said it myself.

But today, with everything we know from neuroscience, I challenge the word broken.

We were never broken.
Our brains adapt to the environment we’re in. They learn to survive.

When we’re no longer in that environment, we help our brains re-adapt — or reauthor our story.

That’s recovery. Not fixing what’s broken. Teaching what’s already strong to move in a new direction.

07/14/2025

Not Weak.

Some people don’t ask for help because they think it shows weakness.
Truth? Asking for help is one of the bravest things you’ll ever do.
Re-authoring your life—real recovery—demands everything.
Grit. Determination. Sticktoitiveness.
You show up.
Even when it hurts.
Even when no one’s clapping.
Even when it feels like too much.
That’s strength in action.
You belong.
You deserve.
You are worth it.

Address

843 Main Street
Manchester, CT
06040

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Charter Oak Family Center, LLC posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram