16/05/2026
A reference I received today 🙏💕
“I feel incredibly honoured to write this reference for Maria, because the support and impact she has had on my life has been truly incredible, to say the least.
I have been working with Maria for the past two and a half years, and throughout that time she has supported me through some of the most difficult, confronting, and transformative periods of my life.
When I first began seeing Maria, I believed I was simply seeking help for addiction issues as part of my bail conditions. To be completely honest, I was basically forced to go and see her. What I didn’t realise at the time was how connected my drug use was to unresolved trauma, emotional pain, and parts of myself I had never properly understood or even recognised.
I didn’t even know I had addiction issues. It sounds so silly now, but back then I had convinced myself I was only using because I felt like it at the time, completely unaware of how out of control things really were. Through her guidance, compassion, patience, and knowledge, Maria has helped me uncover and begin understanding so much about myself that I had spent my whole life completely unaware of.
What makes Maria so special is that she is far more than just a drug and alcohol counsellor. She has an incredible ability to look beyond the surface and see the person underneath the addiction, without judgement, shame, or criticism. She created a space where I felt genuinely safe enough to open up, reflect honestly, and begin confronting parts of my life and experiences that I had buried deeply since I was a child.
She has helped me understand my behaviours, emotions, coping mechanisms, and trauma responses in ways nobody ever has before. There have been moments where conversations with her completely shifted the way I see myself and my life. I found this confronting and really scary at first, because I was overwhelmed by discovering I didn’t know myself as well as I thought I did. But her endless support and guidance kept me feeling strong enough to continue learning, healing, and growing.
One of the most remarkable things about Maria is her ability to balance professionalism with genuine warmth and kindness. I have never once felt judged by her. Instead, I have felt understood. That alone has been life-changing for me.
In the coming weeks I am going to prison, and Maria has told me she will continue supporting me and that I can call her or do Zoom meetings with her whenever I need to. Knowing I will still have her support during this time brings an enormous sense of comfort and reassurance to me, and speaks volumes about the kind of person she is and the level of care she genuinely gives to the people she works with.
The growth, self-awareness, and emotional understanding I have gained since working with Maria is something I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I honestly believe meeting Maria has saved me. I can’t imagine where I would be right now if I had never met her — probably nowhere good.
I will always be grateful for Maria and will always have the highest level of respect and love for her.
Kind regards,
Tegan “
