A Refuge In Storm
Whether Brain cancer, NeuroLyme, LongHaul Covid, POTS/EDS/MCAD, or catastrophic conditions of intractable pain, without help, women are robbed of their independence, personality, career, and often even relationships. Spouses are forced to become caretakers and without adequate help children grow up too fast. They need understanding, they need to be seen, and above all they really need community!
Like a hurricane, a catostrophic health crisis tears through the lives of families and their loved ones, often leaving the wreckage of divorce, joblessness and suicide in their wake.
But it doesn't have to be that way. Our goal is to stop this cycle: helping women and families gain the tools and advocacy necessary to survive the challenges ahead.
so, What is Emily's place?
"We are a quilt set to catch you, a quilt of women's hands, threaded by pain..."
A few years ago, Emily moved from Arizona to Oregon to stay with Regina, a single mother who was racked with the misery and torture of NeuroLyme for over a decade. Emily's compassion and service allowed Regina to achieve remission after years of failed treatments. Through this act of service, Emily's place The One was born: an innovative and compassionate refuge designed to collaboratively free the forgotten.
How It works
Our purpose: to free women struck down by neuro-debilitating conditions and intractable pain from the crushing burdens they cannot carry alone, so they can llive independently and in some cases even achieve remission.
To accomplish this, each of our guests go through three separate phases on the path of healing:
PHase 1: Rest and Convalescence
EMILY‘S PLACE THE ONE, the residential arm for women of our demographic racked with trauma and CPTSD, begins as the ultimate refugr. We do everything for our guests that would otherwise worsen their symptoms, including cleaning, cooking, driving, shopping and ensuring that they have access to medical care and treatment.
EMILYS HELPING HANDS, an organic gathering of experts and volunteers form a dream team to help lift one woman at a time with neurodebilitating conditions and catastrophic intractable pain: lifting them above what crushes them daily. In so doing, they become free to BE their best selves with their loved ones instead of merely a shell. Courtney, the first to be lifted through kind and generous helping hands in her community, sings about her hope of breaking the chains that bind her down in her original song Dreamer. You can listen to it here:
Our goal is to collaboratively help one woman out of survival mode so they have the energy and cognitive resources needed to move on to Phase 2.
Phase 2: Building the toolbox
- Beyond in-home care
- Each guests embarks in their own journey of Triumph From Crushed to Chronically Thriving
- Structured days, and daily and weekly goals organically emerge
- Guests gradually take on more responsibility and begin gentle exercising once a strong foundation of safety has been established.
They work with our founder/advocate, mental health professionals, professional organizers specializing in the brain-challenged, physical and occupational therapists, social workers, and more
Phase 3: Independent living
Once residential guests, and in-home clients, of Emily's place can live on their own, after getting help obtaining social security disability, our objective is to help them find reduced rent affordable housing and an inhome caregiver to ease the transition back into independent living. After this, they move on with their lives, pursuing renewed passion in life, and may even start an Emily's place of their own!
Overcoming Trauma
What Is The Triumph Program?
The Triumph Program: Chronically Thriving is a 12 week narrative therapy program that helps people find meaning and purpose in their suffering. Another version of the program, made for prisoners and veterans, recently received a Governor's Award in Texas for its service to veterans.
Trauma is inevitable when living with a chronic illness. Between misunderstandings by family, friends, and doctors, and mourning the loss of everything you once were, it is critical to work through these emotions in order to fully heal. In many cases, unresolved trauma can be just as debilitating as the illness itself!
Welcome. We’re so glad you’re here.
Emily’s Place The One walks beside women sidelined by catastrophic illness or injury as they reclaim dignity, safety, and life, and find a new heartsong.
To the clinicians who stay with the hardest cases: thank you. You are often the reason someone holds on.
We are seeking a university home for a REALtime Pain-care Safety and Access Reporting Pilot to measure the impact of disrupted paincare and undertreated pain on patients, caregivers, families & the public. Please join us where hope springs eternal.