Today we’d like to introduce Kristina! Kristina attended the University of Houston, obtaining her undergraduate degree in Psychology and her Masters in Social Work. She recently became an LCSW and has an LCDC and is trained in EMDR for both trauma and addiction. Grateful for 13 years and 9 months sober, she is active member of the recovery community.

As the Program Coordinator at SLR, she oversees the clinical operations in addition to doing individual therapy, group therapy, relapse prevention and education on chemical dependency. Kristina has been with SLR from the VERY BEGINNING, since May of 2015 when she was cutting rose bushes, selecting staff, and creating program curriculum and client schedules.

She is excitedly planning for her upcoming wedding and can’t wait to marry her fiancé at the end of October. Kristina is an avid participant in recovery group fitness at SLR with Bo and Meechi and practices pilates on the weekends. She also loves to travel and offshore fish with her family.

We asked Kristina some questions to get her perspective on a few important matters.

What drives you to show up every day?

My work family and the staff at Serenity Light Recovery motivate me to show up everyday and do my job. Being a part of a staff that loves what they do makes work less of a job and more of a passion. I love feeling apart of a community with a mission to help those still suffering.

What’s your favorite thing about working at SLR?

My favorite thing (outside of our amazing staff and work culture) is seeing the client’s come alive again. There is nothing better than seeing someone who came in completely broken, rediscover their worth and find themselves again. Each month we have Field Day where staff and client’s participate in a full day of activities all geared towards showing our client’s how to have fun in recovery. I look forward to this day (and our wonderful staff lunches) monthly!

What’s your advice for someone contemplating a major life change (i.e. getting sober/going to treatment)?

My advice is to not think about it or contemplate but get into action. We can always find a good excuse not to do it- it is never going to be convenient. But I can promise you that recovery is a way of life that is far more beautiful than anything I could have imagined.