Posted August 14, 2026
Working through trauma takes time, and the healing process is not linear. However, some people can go years without acknowledging their trauma or what happened to them.
At 38, Stacy began to realize what had happened to her as a child. After ending her abusive marriage, she decided to open up to a trusted family member about her experiences.
“[I] told a family member all that had happened to me growing up at age three with my brother... and she believed me.” Stacy said.
Before coming to Catholic Charities, Stacy had participated in other groups and organizations to help her through her healing journey. However, she felt that many of them focused more on her diagnosis than on who she was as an individual.
“I was led to say ‘I’m Stacy and I’m a paranoid schizophrenic’” Stacy said, “and so... that was my new ‘identity’, and I felt hopeless, I couldn’t maintain relationships, I felt like I had nothing to give to the world.”
After a friend introduced Stacy to the Pathways Peer Support Program, she began to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Pathways Peer Support Program recognizes that every person’s story is unique and meets each individual where they are on their journey.
“The focus is on the individual and not ‘what’s wrong with me,’ but ‘what has happened, why do I act like that?’” Stacy said.
Through participating in meetings and activities, Pathways has helped Stacy build a strong support system of people who consistently check in on her.
If she is unable to attend a few meetings, Stacy said people from Pathways reach out to make sure she is doing okay.
Through her experiences with Pathways, Stacy has also gained confidence and now uses her own experiences to help others.
“Today I volunteer, I’m on the board of Appleseed. I was doing some contract services with Appleseed doing some support groups,” Stacy said.
Pathways offers participants opportunities to learn about boundaries, build self-esteem, develop budgeting and cooking skills, and more—all while creating a space where they can be themselves without judgment.
“It would be a sad day if Pathways didn’t exist because there are a lot of people getting help,” Stacy said.
Are you or someone you know interested in participating in Pathways Peer Support? Call (419) 496-0140 or click the button below to learn more.
Part of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
