I’m Coach Cherisse and I am your Journey to Wholeness Companion. I’m excited to partner with you to bring forth your greatness. I am here to provide a safe space to help you unearth the treasure that is trapped beneath the rubble of your life experiences.

We all have a story that has given birth to wounds. The good news is that we don’t have to live from the perspective of the wound. Instead, our wounds can be the vehicle that guides us to our wisdom. Let’s work together to unleash the wisdom, purpose, and possibility within you.

A little of my journey…

I had just completed Kindergarten when my family moved to a new city. I was so excited about the adventure of being the only one to occupy the upstairs bedroom away from my parents and sister. After all, I was a big kid now! Who was I kidding? I hardly ever slept in my room. I was too afraid, but I wouldn’t say I was afraid. I didn’t want my parents thinking I was a baby. Instead, I would sleep in the room with my little sister and tell myself that she was afraid of being alone. She needed me.

At age seven, I became part of a church community for the first time in my young life. We were in fellowship with that community for 10 years. During my tween and teen years, the girls my age decided that they didn’t like me. No reason; they just didn’t like me. I avoided talking about my feelings in order to be accepted by the mean girls.

Interestingly, I displayed the same patterns of stifling my voice to gain acceptance when I was dating my, now, ex-husband. He was extremely charming and popular and, since I was eight years younger, I was elated that he liked me! I was head over heels crazy about him. I enjoyed his company and desired a place in his heart so I buried my voice to accommodate his. After three years of dating, we married and within the first four years, welcomed two beautiful sons to our family. For the most part, those years were good and, like our dating years, I continued to suppress my voice. My world turned upside down when I decided to vote for what I wanted instead of allowing him to dictate my next move. Since I didn’t allow him to overrule my vote, he decided to inflict a series of cruel and manipulative tactics on me for the next 10 years. I felt heartbroken and angry at the world because of what I was experiencing. Had I been so horrible to deserve such hostility from the man who vowed to love me? Absolutely not.

Quick story … One Friday evening after work, I discovered that my husband had thrown our cookware and dishes in the community dumpster - all because he felt I took too long to wash them. Yes, the dishes were sitting for a few days, but the energy he used to throw them away could have been used to wash them. After recovering from bewilderment and tears, I grabbed a flashlight, went to the dumpster and, on my tip toes, reclaimed the dishes I could reach without literally climbing inside. I washed them, cooked dinner, and proceeded with my evening - still in disbelief about what had just happened.

What a perfect metaphor … I was discarded in my marriage and had to sift through the rubbish of cruelty and manipulation to reclaim myself! I began the reclamation process the day I decided to file for divorce.

Since then, I have lived a peaceful and authentic life rooted in the beauty that I pulled from the rubble of my unhealthy marriage. And not just the marriage - the rubble of stifling my voice, as a kid, to make someone else feel more at ease.

Today, after almost two decades, I am discovering even more treasure, which fills my heart with joy, excitement, and wonder. What else is there for me to uncover?

I’m curious … what treasure is trapped beneath the piles of rubble left behind from your story?

Final thoughts…

We are multi-faceted individuals with multi-faceted stories. I’m sure you were able to pull a few themes from my short story alone. My joy is to work with individuals, single and married, who want to grow from their story and write a new one.

Another facet of my joy is championing marriages. I want so badly to see them succeed. It pains me to have contributed to the divorce statistic, but instead of wallowing in sorrow, I decided to use my energy to stand on the front lines of marriage. As a result, I chose to become a Certified SYMBIS Facilitator to help pre-marriage couples build a firm foundation for lifelong love. Bonus: I unpack assessments for married couples too!

Above all, I love Jesus with my whole being. He is restoring my soul and illuminating my new story. I am filled with gratitude to be valued, fully known, and loved by Him. Since I am so grateful, I want to do the same for others … my hope is for everyone I encounter to feel seen, heard, known, and loved. You are a significant and unique part of this world and you deserve acceptance just for being who God created you to be. May grace and peace be yours.

With love and shifting paradigms,

Coach Cherisse