What Clients Say...
"To anyone that may need help during a very difficult time with a addiction, Margaret Swift Thompson is exactly who you need. I have a friend going through something I’ll never be able to explain to you or even myself. But through it all Margaret was not only there for the parents, myself but most of all, my very sick friend. With Margaret’s high level of emotional intelligence and her calming, honest personality we were able to get a stubborn alcoholic to commit to go to treatment. While in rehab I asked my friend what made her change her mind, her answer...all of our love and her new friend Margaret. This relationship was just through phone calls so far but my friend hopes it will continue after treatment."
Mike
"My husband and I have over 5 decades of 12 Step experience between us but when it came to dealing with our adult son's addiction, we were ineffective. Our home was more of a prison and our lives extremely restricted. We came to Margaret asking for help in finding a solution without destroying the relationship with our only child. We found strength even in our first session and have felt Margaret's guidance not only filled with empathy but with a knowledge only years of experience can produce. Our road is not easy, but it has become much clearer. We would not hesitate to recommend her services to anyone struggling with addiction of a loved one."
M & B
"My partner and I started using Embrace Family Recovery when I was at wit's end in a relationship with an addict. I wanted to salvage the romance and was referred to Margaret for family addiction coaching. She immediately helped us to see common sense solutions to our stressful dynamic, including taking a look at our expectations and to see our own part in behaviors. The path was not easy for us and she was up to task. Her experience, both professional and personal, provided for us a level of knowledge and skillset we needed in a recovery coach. We were able to trust her and any suggestions she made because of her demeanor, transparency and the alliance that we had created. We looked forward to our visits with her and the take-aways that we could use in keeping our bond solid. I strongly recommend her services for families or couples who are navigating the sometimes volatile world of addiction, sober or not. "
Mike D.
"Margaret has been a true gift for our healing as parents! Before we contacted Margaret, we had no idea about the healing that we needed for ourselves which in turn helps our son in his recovery. Her knowledge, compassion, and coaching skills in dealing with families that need help is the medicine that has been a critical piece to recovery for our family. Taking care of ourselves, living our life with family and friends and actually enjoying that time is healthy.
In our first session we started the process of learning about the disease of addiction and how to separate it from our son that we love. We have complete trust in sharing our roller coaster of emotions with Margaret. She is gentle and offers coping skills for us. She helps us see situations from different perspectives and has advice for how to navigate these complicated issues. Margaret treats her clients with respect. Each time we complete a session with her, we feel stronger with the knowledge we have gained.
If anyone that has a loved one dealing with addiction and is searching for help and guidance, we would highly recommend Margaret. We feel there is not a better professional in this field that can help the way that Margaret can and does!"
D & D
"One of the life altering treasures I received from working with [Margaret] on an individual level was the suggestion to attend Al Anon meetings. I have been sober and working a program of recovery for 18 years in AA and dabbled in Al Anon. However, I never took it seriously. Margaret has helped guide me to this program of understanding and compassion. Due to Margaret's services and treatment planning, I am able to interact with the addicts in my life, who I love, in a much different manner than I had been. I must say that I feel a bit freer when it comes to navigating relationships with family, friends and romantic partners, especially my relationship with myself. A new world has been opened for me, seriously, and "peace of heart" is being experienced on a daily basis."
Mike D
"I made the decision to invest in me and it has turned out to be one of the best choices I’ve ever made. When I reached out to Margaret, I took a risk because I’m a person who struggles with trusting others because of my childhood scars. As a wife, mom, and a friend who believes she’s got it all together it was a big step for me to ask for help. However, this step has taken me to another level of personal growth and healing. Margaret was the absolute right choice! She has greatly assisted me with important strategies, tools, and a greater awareness on how to respond in situations that trigger childhood memories and deep wounds that I thought were either healed or I didn’t know I had. I am amazed in the transformation of my thinking and beyond grateful that I found Margaret."
D
"Working with Margaret has been very helpful in my healing journey. She is incredibly insightful and helps me see patterns I am stuck in that I might not have had the clarity or perspective to see. If the first step to healing is awareness, having someone gently help you to see unhelpful patterns is a game changer. I appreciate Margaret's authenticity, her compassion and her clarity. I am motivated to heal and she is a perfect partner for me in my endeavors."
K
"Working with Margaret has helped me implement healthier ways to respond to my loved one's disease - ways that allow me to be more mentally and physically present for my family, my work, and myself, while still being supportive of my loved one (in a way that is actually helpful to their recovery and lets them lead the process). I can't put into words how grateful I am for Margaret - her profound professional and personal experience, partnered with her kind & comforting approach, has made working with her one of the best decisions I've made for myself in a long time. I have immensely valued her advice, wisdom and guidance through a very difficult journey. I've made leaps and bounds in my ability to set & hold healthy boundaries, support my loved one through recovery without becoming responsible for things out of my control, and approach difficult situations in a much healthier way for my own mental well-being. I would recommend Margaret to ANYONE who has a loved-one or friend dealing with addiction - there IS a better way to support yourself & your loved one, and Margaret can show you!"
A
What Embrace Family Recovery Coaching Group Participants Say...
"The sharing amongst members of the group and your vast and applicable knowledge and experience was most valuable."
"It was full of takeaways and so much emotion in our intimate group."
"You are a wealth of practical knowledge dealing with challenging situations."
"Actual suggestions were provided. Feedback was given, each meeting had a topic and a lesson, you were able to ask questions to draw information out."
"It was such a relief and very stirring to be in a group of amazing people - the honesty, and sincerity for healing was very meaningful. Addiction is a tough and complicated subject."
What Retreat Participants Say...
“We leave here stronger, we leave here loved, we leave here known.”
“An engaging, compassionate, supportive weekend.”
“Perfect help, support, information, soul searching, and validation to show compassion for myself.”
“Margaret is a rockstar, content was presented in bite sized pieces, sessions allowed/encouraged input from all participants, which was incredibly hearing and enhanced the learning and processing of information.”
“Margaret is very knowledgeable, shared stories, shared resources, and gave feedback.”
“Margaret’s knowledge, kindness, gentleness made it a safe environment for a very challenging, scary topic.”
What Counselors, Coaches, and Clinicians Say About Our Training...
“This session was the most fun and interesting. Loved role-playing. The tools are understandable.”
“I was skeptical of the role plays, I learned more than I have in many courses in this workshop.”
“This session was my favorite next to Mackenzie Phillips’ keynote.”
“As I participated in these four sessions, I had the strong sense we needed to find a way to bring both the content and facilitators to our retreat setting. Even beyond that, I knew we needed to find a way to offer a complete retreat based on principles outlined in these sessions.”
Gene Morfitt
"Enjoyed the information on conflict and exercise to determine individual styles to deal with conflict."
"Showed a lot of insight into families and helped guide my thinking when working with a family."
"Very informative presentation! I appreciate the humor, practical tips and shared knowledge. Thank you!"
“A fantastic training! So knowledgeable and really draws people in and keeps them involved. I learned much and will use it as I go forward with my work."
“Incredibly engaging and experiential teaching style. I learned more about myself than my clients - incredibly beneficial."
"Great session! Needs to be longer or maybe 2 parts to be complete. So much info!"
"Cha cha is a great tool.
Importance of building ones own support group to get healthy before you can help others. "
