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TESTIMONIALS

Hear from our past students about their experiences in our ALIGN courses and LIFT program.

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    Kim Fletcher

    Watch Kim Fletcher, the lovely wife of Tim Fletcher, recount her journey of Complex Trauma and the healing she has found today.*

WRITTEN TESTIMONIALS


A Letter of Endorsement


“There was a time in my life where I had no hope, where I could not see a future—in fact, I did not want to live. I not only survived intergenerational residential school trauma, complex childhood trauma, intimate partner violence, and addiction to multiple substances, I am now thriving and have hope for a meaningful future. This miraculous transformation is due in large part to the fulsome, holistic teachings of the RE/ACT and Finding Freedom programs of recovery.

- Christy A.

Boozhoo neechiwakan! Christy Anderson indizhinikaaz, nin Pinaymootang indoonjibaa, nin ma’iigan indoodem. Greetings friends! My name is Christy, I am from Pinaymootang First Nation (Treaty Two Territory in Manitoba), and I am from the wolf clan. I am honoured to share a small piece of my life story with you through this brief introduction to the RE/ACT program created by Tim Fletcher Co. From the day my innocent spirit entered the world, my life was filled with turmoil and strife. From the beginning, I was exposed to extreme acts of violence, drugs and alcohol, and I was neglected—emotionally abandoned—by both of my parents. As a child, I felt unloved, unwanted, defective, unsafe, and mostly, like I was all alone and had to fend for myself. My father was a residential school survivor, and my mother did not take an interest in me or my sibling—I was abandoned by my father at age 5 and by the time I was 14 my mother had left me in the care of my grandparents. My entire youth consisted of a deep, dark depression, suicide ideation, and was marked by a reckless abandon where I did whatever I thought would meet my own needs. At the tender age of 12 I discovered alcohol and drugs and using became a part of my daily means of coping with the pain I had not yet named. Over the years my life spiraled out of control—the drugs got harder and were consumed more frequently. Before I knew it, I was a daily crystal methamphetamine user—I had no hope, I could not see a future, and I wanted to die. I hated myself.

At the age of 26 I had a revelation. I knew deep down inside that I was either going to die from using drugs or I could reach out and ask for help. Thus began the journey of unpacking my trauma and finding new, healthy coping mechanisms that I could rely on to build a new life. While my road to recovery has included many treatment centres, self-help groups, and counselors, it is the tools from the RE/ACT program that took hold in my mind and helped me to address the underlying causes of my addiction. The principles of RE/ACT teach the holistic problem and solution to my addictions. I discovered that my addiction was a complex issue, stemming from my biological, psychological, social, and spiritual maladies. I also learned that my addictions were a symptom of my real problem—the root of my addiction stemmed from complex childhood trauma. This was the beginning of a lifelong journey of recovery and wellness—the RE/ACT program has been instrumental in providing me with the tools I need to recover from a traumatic childhood.

I was fortunate to have met Tim Fletcher at the very beginning of my recovery, which led to my involvement with this program since its inception in 2007. The teachings I heard every Friday night for years at Finding Freedom have since evolved into the RE/ACT program. This program has one of the highest success rates of all programs because it teaches people that we cannot address our addictions unless we treat the trauma. Today I can say that I not only have a vision for my future, but I am also excited for the challenges that each day brings. I have found my passion for life and my place in the circle—I am a trustworthy friend and colleague, I am a doctoral student in Indigenous Studies, and most importantly, I am a mother who has learned how to be a loving, caring parent to my children. I have broken cycles of intergenerational dysfunction from both sides of my family, and I am passionate about helping others learn about the true history of our people, as well as giving back to those who struggle with their own unaddressed trauma.

It is my hope and prayer that this program and the supplementary Indigenous content will help others find freedom and healing from their complex trauma. One area of trauma that is distinct to our experiences as peoples who have survived genocide via colonization, is that of historical trauma. We have an additional layer of trauma that is unique to our collective history and requires unpacking in this journey of wellness. While it is beyond the scope of this text to deconstruct the complex relationship between settlers and the First Peoples of this land, this historical trauma is critical to understanding our complex childhood traumas—they are intimately connected. You may find that further discussions about the Indian Residential School system, the 60s Scoop, child welfare, gender-based violence, land dispossession, Indian Act policies, and other historical and contemporary issues require further attention in your groups—I encourage you to explore how the legislated colonial violence against our peoples are intricately connected to our individual, complex childhood traumas. A critical point in my own journey of recovery has been to acknowledge the pain and harm of the residential school legacy, and how this system impacted my relationship with my father. Sadly, my father was not able to face the hurts of his past and he took those secrets—his trauma—with him when he passed on to the spirit world. I had to reconcile our shared historical trauma with both of our complex childhood traumas to finally come to terms with the fact that my father not only abandoned me—he was stolen from me through systemic, historical violence against our people. Understanding our history has also helped me connect the dots in my own childhood trauma—it has helped me forgive because my father did not know any better and I am confident that if he did know better, he would have done better. Working through these deeply rooted issues has brought peace and healing to myself and my children, which will impact all the future generations of my family.

While I have attempted to draw upon a variety of Indigenous teachings and traditions in this supplementary content, I am Anishinaabekwe, therefore many of the teachings I have gravitated to are from the traditions and stories of my ancestors and other plains peoples. This book is intended to be a guide however, you may find there are more specific teachings, stories, or ceremonies that belong to your nation that would complement the RE/ACT teachings. I urge you to explore your own traditions as you share this knowledge with our people, ever mindful of the power and wisdom of our traditional knowledges. From my own experience, I have learned that when we apply the principles of “Two-Eyed Seeing,” when we are open to bringing the best of western knowledge into harmony with our Indigenous knowledges, Creator honours our unique positions as peoples who walk in both worlds.

There is a purpose for everything. As peoples who have survived hundreds of years of oppression in our homelands, we have lived through collective darkness. However, I am confident that if we are willing to bring our dark secrets—our guilt, shame, depression and the like—into the light, our Creator will use them for good. Our painful experiences have the power to shape us in such profound ways and when we confront them, learn from them, and access the tools we need for healing, we are better equipped to help others find their way through the darkness. When we work through our own pain, then we have found, and we are better equipped to help others find and live mino-bimaadziwin—the good life.

Gitchi-miigwetch for entrusting me and the team at Tim Fletcher Co. with helping to shine a light in dark places. May your ancestors meet you where you are, hear your prayers, and give you the strength you require to make the longest journey of your life—the journey from your head to your heart.

With Love and Respect,

Christy, Pinaymootang First Nation (member)

Recovered Alcoholic and Drug Addict (2006-Present)

BA Communications and Media Studies, Canadian Mennonite University (11’)

MA Native Studies, University of Manitoba (17’)

Thesis--(Re)Presenting Indigenous Women: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Two Reports on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada

PhD Student Indigenous Studies, University of Saskatchewan (2019-2023)

Joseph Armand-Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholar (2020-2023)

Indigenous Engagement Advisor, Canadian Mennonite University (2020-Present)

Indigenous Studies Instructor, Booth University College & Canadian Mennonite University

Research Assistant, University of Saskatchewan & Ryerson University

Southern Chiefs’ Organization, Health Research and Engagement Liaison (2014-16)