Client Testimonials
"If you are looking for a stronger, healthier relationship with your partner look no further! I will never forget April, 2008. My husband was experiencing severe health issues, and we were desperately looking for answers to why my husband's health was failing. We had made several trips to his internist, and he would prescribe different medications, hoping to address our concerns.
Thankfully his doctor had the foresight to steer us in the right direction. The doctor explained that he can only help the body and maybe it was time we looked deeper. He confided in us that as a caregiver himself he knew exactly what we were going through. He recommended we see his psychotherapist because she had given him the tools necessary to heal and strengthen his mind.
I remember our first meeting with Marigrace.
We had made the decision to go as a couple, even though it appeared only my husband had issues, I wanted to be a support to him. We sat nervously across from her, trying to explain our issues. Her compassion, care, and concern was so evident. It was so hard for us to admit we needed her, but we were desperate. Her knowledge was amazing, she spoke to us from her heart; we felt nurtured that day. My husband and I decided that we would work with Marigrace- it was time for change. As we left her office, I remember distinctly telling my husband that I was only there to support him.
I had no intention of letting her get into my "stuff"!
Somehow Marigrace made it into my "stuff," and I will forever be grateful. I thought I had it all together but wow was I wrong! Now my husband and I have a strong healthy marriage and we are equipped with tools to help us through the difficult times.
She has taught us so much, helped us overcome obstacles that we had buried so deep. Our lives and our marriage are so much richer. Marigrace is dedicated to helping individuals, families, and couples realize their full potential. She speaks from her heart, and I know you will learn valuable techniques and gain "tools" to put in your toolbox that will help you in every aspect of your life.
— Couple
"When I walked into Marigrace’s office, I had just had my second abortion with an abusive wife beater. We were fighting, and I wanted to know how to fix the relationship so that I wouldn’t keep drifting to suicide as a potential solution to what was going on. I had no money, no car, no job, we were living in his parents’ basement. I had no self esteem, an eating disorder, unexplored severe sexual abuse history, immature responses to adult situations, and a big heart that I sacrificed to any unworthy cause -- and I was still in denial. I was sure that with a few sessions he and I could make it work. I was desperate. I had run out of solutions.
What made me feel crazy was the discrepancy between what my feelings told me, even when I could barely feel them, and what other people told me. What made me feel suicidal was despair that I didn’t have what it takes to live.
What Marigrace does is ground me in my instincts; my entire life straightened out from there. Marigrace’s approach with me has always involved three things: validating my feelings and instinct, challenging self-abandonment or self-abusive decisions, and modeling compassionate care for the person inside me that needed respect, love, and maturation. My work with her is to mimic those three things to myself and from myself. The work starts with respecting my gut reactions and seeking to understand the origins of why I might be behaving in self-destructive ways. Self-abandonment is always based in trauma or a real experience; it is never just completely insane. At some point in my history, that self-abusive behavior saved my life, so it was good instinct in the past. Now the challenge is to stop resorting to it in times of safety and abundance. Then the real work is in adopting new behavior, new thoughts, new self-care, new ideas that support my new reality, accepting good instinct in the present.
Every part of my life has been touched and transformed by this work. To support my own progress on restoring my instinct and self-love, I have needed to stabilize and improve the quality of my life. I now have self-esteem and a solution for my eating disorder. I have an advanced education, I have a successful career, I have loving and supportive friendships and communities, I own a home and have abundant resources, and I build safety and good boundaries. As far as partnerships, I have learned that my romantic relationships are both a reflection of my health and also my next opportunity for self-growth. So, if I want a better romantic experience the first thing I need to work on is my own self-esteem, self-respect, self-empowerment, and self-love. This has produced beautiful results every time. But my primary work is still on myself. My quality of life is an awesome by-product.
Without learning to trust myself, I would be dead by suicide. Without my instinct intact, I kept repeating horrible, entrapping situations and pain because they looked on the outside but felt familiar on the inside. Feeling unable to exit abusive situations makes me suicidal. Instinct allows me to identify what truly is different, safe, and stable from the inside. No outside remedy, philosophy, theory, or red-flags checklist can replace this. Marigrace has been critical to my healing because she has helped me gain discernment and increase in courage to follow-through to protect myself. Even if something were to happen to her, I am okay because now I know that my instinct has the right answers for me, and will carry me through. I have what it takes to live, and be alive. I have moved from a PTSD stricken, survivor, and refugee mentality on the verge of suicide to a happy, thriving, abundant, and emotionally stable woman with wisdom. I am eternally grateful for Marigrace grounding me in myself so that I could transform my life".
— Struggling (now strong) Woman