Dear Petra,
I want to take a moment to sincerely thank you for the opportunity to have a session with you today. It was truly a great encounter for me, and I am deeply convinced in my spirit that God has sent you into my life at this very moment to help me fulfill my destiny. For that, I am beyond grateful — first to God, and also to you for your time, your wisdom, and your heart.🙏
I believe that God’s timing is always perfect, and Him sending you into my life now shows me that this is the right time for my change. I am ready in both soul and spirit to make a difference, and I pray for the strength, motivation, and energy to begin this new journey starting today.
I want today to mark the last day I allow drug addiction and depression to control or define me. From this day forward, I choose to take control — I will not let drugs control me anymore. As you requested, I am committing myself to 6 months of sobriety, beginning tomorrow, January 10, 2025. This is not just a promise to you as my counselor and coach, but also a vow to myself, to my destiny, and most importantly, to God.
Thank you once again for being the vessel that God has chosen to use in my life. I look forward to walking this journey of change with your guidance and support.
With gratitude and determination, Elijah A. (Shine)💎🙏😇✨🫶

I remember the first time I talked with Petra. It was over the phone and she did my assessment for our groups at Attic. I could tell immediately, this lady was different-in a wonderful and loving way. Now that I'm in group with her, I can see why the groups never helped before. None of my facilitators cared, but Petra does and does so very much. I have been sober from drugs and alcohol for almost 3.5 years, and my journey in recovery has seen a benefit just attending one of Petra's groups. I use to use because I never felt right being 'Me'; growing up my Mom and or Dad & I have had conflicts and I believe my issues with drugs stems from this. Not feeling good enough to be myself was a huge reason I didn't want to feel everyday, so for over 10 years I covered up my emotions with Opiates. I didn't know how I was ever going to live with abusing a substance, but Petra shows us that there is more than one way, and not one way works for each person. Petra shows we must approach Ourselves with Love, and self-acceptance, and this is where we will find true Healing. I know that if no one else cares, Petra does. I have learned more from her by being in her groups for the last 9 months, than I have in the rest of my 3.5 years in Recovery. I now have a beautiful little family, with my wonderful boyfriend and amazing daughter 💕 I know if I didn't put my Recovery and Self first each and every day, I wouldn't have the Life that I have today. Life is far from perfect, but I know if I continue to Heal and Grow, Life will get better and better.
Thank you, Petra 💜
🩷Lindsey Sparrow

Getting acros Hopetranscends.
Is the best thing that ever happened to me am in the point where I almost lost my inner man but hopeteanscends
Brought my inner man back and I feel like something I genuinely resorting inside me

I met Petra a year and a half ago and I am so thankful that I did. I had never been to any kind of therapy groups before and after hearing all the nightmares that most everyone else had I am convinced that I hit the lottery by getting Petra as my first!!
Petra has a true gift of knowing what each of us need and when we need it. I feel that every class is custom made just for me and I know that the other ladies in my group feel the same thing. Petra has created an environment within this group that makes all of us feel safe and it is so easy to talk about all the dirty gritty nasty parts of our addiction and nobody judges us , quite the opposite actually. It doesn't matter who you are or what your social , financial or educational background is. Everyone is equal and Petra has a gift of teaching each one of us how to be our better selves. I don't know where I would be if I had not met her but I am so thankful I will never know what life is like without her .

Hello, I am Rich. My life hasnt been an easy one . At 13 I was sent to a juvenile lock up facility. While there my mother moved far away. My stay there wasnt all that bad . Although i was alone .no visits. No letters. The Luthern reverend Uttech would bring me to his home for off grounds to chop wood and i would then have a nice dinner. I will always be grateful to him and his wife. I believe he saw the kindness in me and wanted to help. I was released at age 16 . Had no where to go . The state declared me a legal adult through emancipation process. Form there I got a job and rented a trailer. My parents where divorced when I was 10 .I left with my mother as my father was very abusive. My brother and sister stayed with my father . I'm 60 this year , my father died years ago. I only talked to him 4 times since I left with my mother. He wanted nothing to do with me. At that young age 16, I started my downward spiral with drinking and drug use. Although I always worked and paid my own way in life , it wasnt easy. I married at 22 and after 6 years divorced , just didnt work out as I was at that time not only working but also selling weed. I have had numerous arrests and jail time over the years . But I was always working and got married to my soulmate in 96 . We raised our 7 kids . But the whole time I was doing weed then got into heroin. I was and always will be a Deadhead. So yes I did a lot of psychedelics also . Then my second wife died at age of 42 of lung cancer. That's when things really got bad . Depression is a bitch. I always fooled myself thinking I work everyday . So I'm good . But that lead to burning out from working to much . Did more jail time . Still couldnt stop using . Needed it to work. Needed to work to get drugs. A viscous cycle. My mother returned into my life in 2021. My new partner didnt like that . She didnt and doesnt use drugs .so my drug use put a large strain on our relationship. Bought a house together . Got kicked out . Many bad things between us. With the help of my mother and the fact that I was forced to do a group with Petra I can happily say I'm sober today and want to stay this way .its been almost two years . I gave up drinking in 2000. I stopped all drugs but the opiates then . Just couldnt bear being sick to stop them. At least not til couple years ago .I tried meth alone wasnt working. Only thing that worked was to just go cold turkey. And having the support from Petras group. NA wasnt right for me . Tried it .but Petras group made me feel like I was someone not a piece of shit . Sure things still are not perfect. I've learned to accept that not all my children will forgive me . Mabey with time .I'm a patient guy . Now I work and harvest my herbs .I make my own medicines and preserve my own foods . I enjoy living almost completely off grid . I would really like to just live as the pioneers did .simple life .simple Joy's. It's not always easy . But it's all worth it in the long run .I wouldnt be able to be doing this if I were using . So to anyone struggling , relapsing any thing like that. Just please for your soul and life spirit keep trying til you get it right . PETRAS INFLUENCE AND HELP MADE ME REALIZE IM NOT A BAD PERSON .JUST HAVE A BAD PROBLEM .I say have becouse even sober I an still an addict and have to keep my program going . So if I can do this after 40 years of using one drug or the other .I believe you can also . Love yourself first. You cant love others til you do . Your happy sober hippie freind Rich

From a young age I’ve struggled with behavioral issues and mental health! I hopped continuously back and forth between my mom’s home and my dads( they divorced when I was five and my sister was four) and that I feel contributed to some of my behavior issues. I never felt like I belonged anywhere in life until I found alcohol and drugs and they absolutely grabbed my by the neck and wouldn’t let go! I struggled for roughy about 13 years with substance abuse! It wasn’t until I was sitting in jail looking at a long time that everything clicked, I need help and fast! My mother and my now stepfather offered me an opportunity to move to Wisconsin from California in 2023! And June 1st of that year I began my journey! Now I’m sitting here with 2yrs clean(and trust me it hasn’t been easy for me) and have never been happier!

My Journey from Pain to Purpose: A Story of Hope and Healing

My journey through life has never been easy. I was born into a home where drug use and drunken parents were the norm. The yelling and fighting were constant, and as a child, I wanted nothing more than to disappear. I isolated myself, shrinking away from the chaos around me.

As I grew older, I found ways to cope—though they weren’t healthy. I started cutting myself as a way to self-soothe and feel control over my pain. Late at night, I would sneak out to be with older kids. That’s when my addiction began. What started as pot quickly escalated to heavier drugs. Using became my way to numb the pain that I couldn’t otherwise escape.

As an adult, I didn’t function. I lived only for myself, stealing and selling other people’s things to fuel my addiction. I hit rock bottom when I woke up one morning with no memory of the night before or where I was. Sitting in the park where I usually scored drugs, I noticed a flyer for Hope Transcends. It said I could “rewrite my story.” For the first time, I wondered if change was possible.

When I reached out, Petra became my mentor and guide. She helped me see that my past — with all its pain and mistakes — didn’t have to define me. Together, we worked to change how I viewed my story. Petra showed me that instead of being trapped in shame and regret, I could find meaning and purpose in my pain.

She taught me that healing wasn’t just about me, but about using my story to help others. Sharing my experiences became a powerful way to connect, inspire, and heal—not just myself, but those who feel lost like I once did.

With Petra’s encouragement, I learned resilience and hope. Bit by bit, I rewrote my story—from one of survival to one of strength and purpose.

Today, every day is a chance to live differently: to support others, to grow, to heal, and to keep moving forward with hope.

I heard that you can post things here now. I just wanted to say that if you were thinking about changing your life it works! Petra was a big inspiration and I have been sober for almost two years now. Petra was awesome and it just takes someone like her to get you thinking correctly.