What is The Gathering Place magic (TGP magic)?
TGP magic is a phenomenon that we at The Gathering Place see when someone comes in for the first time in a crisis and over time, heals and starts living the best life that they can! “It is a beautiful experience!”
I became a Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) in 2012 to make a difference in the lives of those who live and struggle with mental health conditions every day. I knew the struggle well, as I too had gone through a great deal of it myself. I wish that I had had someone to be by my side and help me to navigate my journey towards recovery. It would have made it a lot easier for sure. At the time that I became a CPS, there were only four of us in Northeast WI. Not many people had heard of the concept of peer support.
Sue Mader, the Executive Director at the time, was forward thinking and brought The Gathering Place to the forefront of the peer support movement in the area. She hired me on as their first CPS so that I could start and facilitate support groups and talk to people one-on-one.
The work was not easy, but the reward was great. I often got more than I gave. For example, someone once told me that I helped them find hope and they did not end their life that day! I have been told that my story inspired people to set goals and move forward in working towards the best life that they could have. Whenever I hear these things, it solidifies my belief that what I do does make a difference. It makes all the struggles that I had along my journey, ok.
I watched as people came in that were so down and out, start to heal. I watched as they took steps to reach their goals and learn that they have strengths regardless of what they may have heard from others. I watched their self-esteem and self-worth grow. Several even became Certified Peer Specialist so that they too could make a difference. I like the feeling that I get when I watch people heal. It’s kind of like the feeling I got as I watched my children take their first steps. That is the only way that I can describe the feeling. It is magical!
In 2017 I left The Gathering Place because of personal reasons but came back when the position of Executive Director opened in 2021. As the Executive Director, part of my job was to make the environment one of healing. A place of safety where people could come and work on their recovery. I set out with a paint brush and painted the inside with cheery colors. I hired a very compassionate staff who believed that people can live self-directed lives and reach their goals.
Soon, I watched my staff accomplish what I knew that they could do. They made magic! They were making a difference in people’s lives which caused a ripple effect. When one person heals, others get interested in how it happened, and they come and learn how to heal too.
As the Executive Director, I still got to see the members, but I did not have much of a chance to work with them directly. My staff, however, are all individuals with lived experience of mental health or mental health with substance use challenges. They also have hopes and dreams. They do not get paid anywhere near what they are worth as non-profits have very limited budgets. What the staff found, however, was that the magic was so strong that on a personal level, helping others heal, helped them on their own journeys too. That is something that money cannot buy. That warm feeling inside of accomplishment and purpose. Of helping others better their lives.
As a director, my job is to help the staff do their jobs. What they do for members, I can do for the staff. I watch them grow professionally and personally. I am still able to help make magic through them. It’s a beautiful thing. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with so many people, both staff, hospitality specialists (volunteers) and members.
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”
― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
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