Transforming Trauma
Corinne can’t even begin to count the ways her life has changed since she arrived at Destiny Haven.
“My life was full of chaos,” she shares. “Looking back now, I realise that I never felt safe or comforted. I took that out on binge eating food, then turning to extreme dieting and workout sessions to ‘be accepted’—but that feeling never really came. I didn’t feel worthy of love and acceptance.”
Corinne explains that when her dreams of becoming a wedding singer were shattered, she felt she no longer had anything to lose. That was when she took her parents’ advice and applied to Destiny Haven.
“Destiny taught me how to be tough,” Corinne says. “Blisters and bruises are a part of learning and growing (physically, mentally, spiritually and relationally) and it doesn’t get any easier. But because I didn’t give up there, the tough days aren’t as intimidating now. I know they’ll be difficult, but I’ve been through worse, and I’m still alive today.”
For Corinne, the best thing about Destiny Haven was the knowledge she gained. It’s been truly empowering for her.
“I loved the research,” Corinne explains. “Reading and doing the work, getting deeper into the psychology of how a brain works, and how it develops through trauma and abuse. Learning about microplasticity really changed my point of view forever, because with this information, it becomes possible to change. Destiny has opened me up to reading more books based on mental health, and ‘The boy who was raised as a dog’ really stands out to me. It gives me hope and empowerment to change.”
It wasn’t all a joy. Corinne found aspects of her time at Destiny to be challenging, too.
“Having to give up control was hard for me,” Corinne admits. “I had to be disciplined and to let go of things that I wanted control of, but they were just holding me back from my full potential. I had to say ‘yes’ to the hard and uncomfortable things, to make the long-term of my life better.”
Fast forward to today, Corinne has successfully graduated from the Destiny Haven program.
“I am now free,” she explains. “I’ve learned how to be an adult, how to budget, how to look after myself, and paying rent! All these things felt terrifying before, but once I started doing it and ‘adulting’, my life became a lot more independent, and I enjoy every minute of it.”
Corinne may have graduated from Destiny Haven, but she hasn’t stopped working on herself. She still sees a counsellor every week, and she’s getting psychological assistance for her CPTSD and ADHD.
“The journey doesn’t end at Destiny,” Corinne says. “You have to keep going, you don’t stop learning. Because Destiny opened me up to the world of mental health, I feel better equipped to understand and to heal myself and my life. I now know God loves me for who I am, and that I can’t do a single thing to make Him not love me. That revelation feels like freedom.”
