My name is Lacie (she/her/hers) and my lived experience is with trauma, disordered eating, poverty, bullying, unhealthy relationships, and the long process of learning to build a life rooted in self-worth rather than survival. I understand how mental health challenges can affect every part of a person's life and believe that recovery begins with compassion, curiosity, and connection, not judgment.

Growing up in several different states before eventually settling in Eau Claire, I often experienced instability and the feeling of having little control over my own life. As I got older, I coped in the ways many people do when they're trying to survive: through substance use, smoking, unhealthy relationships, and disordered eating. For a long time, those strategies helped me to feel accepted by others, even though I struggled to accept myself.

As I started my recovery journey, I discovered that my challenges weren't really about food or my body. They were rooted in unaddressed trauma, a need for safety, and the search for control. That realization sparked a passion for understanding the ways trauma, poverty, mental health, emotional well-being, and disordered eating often overlap. Rather than asking, "What's wrong with me?" I became more interested in asking, "What happened to me, and what do I need to move forward?"

Today, I continue to practice recovery every day through affirmations, joyful movement, and the support of my community. I credit curiosity, resilience, radical self-love, and meaningful connection as some of the most important tools in my recovery. I know healing isn't about perfection, it's about continuing to choose yourself, even on the difficult days.

As a Certified Recovery Coach Professional, I combine my lived experience with peer support principles to support others as they discover what recovery means for them. Whether someone is navigating trauma, building self-confidence, reconnecting with community, exploring resources, or simply trying to believe change is possible, she strives to create a space where people feel heard, respected, and empowered to define their own goals.

My favorite affirmation? "Today I reject the patriarchy's bad ideas."

Outside of work, I have spent the past several years advocating for mental health through JONAH (Joining Our Neighbors Advancing Hope), breaking generational cycles with my husband and two kids, and rediscovering my love of reading and writing. On my days off, you can find me with a good book, creating art or tossing a football with my kids, or discovering new music with my husband and planning to go to another live show together. I also make it a priority to travel somewhere new each year with my two best friends. If you ever need someone who can carry on an entire conversation in obscure '90s movie quotes - or identify that song that's been stuck in your head for twenty years - I am your person!