To anyone struggling or having a loved one that's struggling.....
A Journey of Healing and Faith is FACTS
Where do I begin? Let me just tell you my experience with transparency. I came in crying with despair and left crying with sadness at having to leave.
I am incredibly grateful to Starlite Treatment Centers for their compassion, guidance, and unwavering support during one of the most challenging seasons of my life. Walking through their doors, I carried the weight of a past filled with pain, addiction, and a deep sense of loss. Yet, within those walls, I found a safe place, where hope, healing, and a reminder of my own worth were waiting for me.
One of the most profound moments of my journey happened during a group therapy session called CBT. It was the first time I shared my story—the pain I had been carrying since I was 3 years old, from abuse, grief, and abandonment to the foster system and being trafficked at 12. The staff at Starlite created an environment where I felt safe to open up, and it was in that moment of vulnerability that I began to reclaim my strength.
Their Operation Liberty and Cover 6 program gave me the opportunity to be surrounded by incredible first responders and military men and women, embracing therapy alongside them. These programs provided me with tools to heal deeply rooted trauma and helped me reconnect with my faith in God, humanity, and myself. Through their encouragement, I rediscovered God's grace and realized that I was never truly alone—He had been walking with me all along, even in my darkest moments. Starlite reminded me of the light within myself and helped me rebuild my broken heart and life, piece by piece.
Today, I stand stronger and more hopeful than ever before. The journey hasn’t been easy, but with God’s grace and the care I received at Starlite Treatment Centers, I’ve risen above the scars of my past. I owe my transformation to Dr. Davis and all the case managers, drivers, chaplain staff Pepper and Travis, Mrs. Trisha and her husband, the nursing team, and every tech—including Alan in Maintenance and his team, the lovely ladies who kept the rooms fresh and clean, and the cooking staff led by Joy, who kept our bellies full and the salad bar stocked.
To Mrs. Susan at Equine Horse Therapy—thank you. To Josh and Kevin—you were always reliable and dependable, there for all of us no matter what I presented or when I presented it—thank you. And I wouldn't be me if I didn’t save my best for last: Teresa Brunsvold, who truly makes the Liberty Program what it is. There are no words to describe her and her love for helping others remember their worth and dig deep into their ability to claim it, take it everywhere they go, and remove the labels of guilt, shame, and defeat.
Finally, to Tori, all the techs, Ian, and the nursing staff in both main and detox—thank you for your smiles, open arms, and compassion, which were right on time for my timid self at that moment.
If you’re seeking a place of healing, compassion, and transformation, I wholeheartedly recommend Starlite Treatment Centers.
To the staff from me to you .....
Born to parents broken and torn
by the death of their firstborn,
A stolen innocence, a story untold. Twelve years lost in a world so cold,
I was always looking for a place to call home..
Through the shadows, a flicker of flame,
Carrying the weight of years of pain.
But in the silence, a voice spoke clear,
"Rise again, for hope is near."
With hands that guided and hearts that cared,
Starlite's light and God's love repaired.
Ten long years, searching for peace,
Fighting the storm of addiction for sweet release.
Through every trial, my truth was born,
This warrior's soul is no longer torn.
For every tear, I earned my name,
For every scar, I broke the chains.
Now I stand, unbroken, free,
A life reclaimed, a brighter me.
By His grace, I found the light,
And Starlite’s care helped me win the fight.
This is my anthem, my story, my truth,
With love and strength, I rise renewed.
-Kimberly Thompson