Introducing the AWE Method: Rise, Shine, and Heal for Real with Trauma-Informed Empowerment

Therapist by day. Bon Jovi impersonator by destiny. It’s not just lather, rinse, repeat. We rise, we shine, we reclaim joy—because healing should leave you feeling like a Rockstar.

At Authentic Wellness & Empowerment (AWE), we’re not just providing counseling. We’re creating spaces for real healing, lasting change, and lives that feel more alive.

We don’t believe in quick fixes. We don’t believe in endless therapy with no direction.

At AWE, we believe in Trauma-Informed Empowerment—a healing model that leads to real, lasting freedom.

That’s why we’ve built a clear, powerful approach:

T.I.E. – Trauma-Informed Empowerment Facilitated through two healing paths: RISE and SHINE

RISE – The Individual Journey

Resilience. Insight. Self-Regulation. Empowerment.

RISE is where the internal work happens. One-on-one counseling focused on helping you:

• Heal emotional wounds at the root

• Understand your patterns without shame

• Build emotional and nervous system regulation

• Step into clear, empowered self-leadership
  

This is where you remember: You’re not broken. You’re becoming.

SHINE – The Relational Journey Social Healing through Insight, Negotiation, and Empathy.

SHINE is the group work where healing becomes visible. It’s where clients:

• Practice healthy communication and boundaries

• Learn to connect with empathy and confidence

• Show up fully—without shrinking or overpowering

• Rehearse new ways of being in a real, supportive community
  

We don’t just talk about relationships. We practice them—together.

Why This Model Works

Most counseling stops at insight. We don’t.

At AWE, we move from:

• Insight ➝ Integration

• Pain ➝ Practice

• Survival ➝ Leadership
  

You rise through personal clarity. You shine through relational growth. You don’t just cope—you connect.

This is Trauma-Informed Empowerment in action—moving beyond insight into meaningful change.

Why I Built This

I’ve spent my life trying to help people. I’ve been the teacher. The preacher. The AmeriCorps member. The camp counselor. The guy in the Bon Jovi wig leading karaoke at the trauma-informed talent show.

I’ve worked with adjudicated youth. I’ve done TSS and wraparound. I’ve coached life skills, cleaned floors, wiped tears—and let’s just say, done the kind of work that humbles you.

And here’s what I learned: Not all help is healing. Sometimes what looks like help is really just survival on repeat. Sometimes we unintentionally prop up dysfunction when we don’t expect more because we’ve stopped believing more is possible. I’ve seen it in systems. I’ve seen it in myself.

So I built something new. Something real. Something that could finally say: “This is what healing looks like—when it works.”

What We Believe at AWE

We believe in clarity over chaos. In movement over stagnation. In systems that don’t just medicate suffering—but cultivate strength.

We believe in truth-telling. Boundary-building. And vulnerability that invites connection.

We believe healing isn’t just something you do in a quiet office. It happens in how you show up. How you speak. How you lead. And yes, how you laugh, sing, dance, and live.

Joy Belongs in the Story

We’re not just here to talk about trauma. We’re here to reclaim the joy that trauma tried to take.

Joy isn’t a luxury—it’s part of the plan. You’re allowed to laugh. To play. To enjoy the ride. Not in denial of the hard stuff—but because you’ve done the work to rise from it.

At AWE, Trauma-Informed Empowerment includes joy, humor, and full-hearted living—not just symptom relief.

We rise with intention. We shine with presence. We do it together.

We change the world by changing your world.

Ready to Rise and Shine?

If you’ve been holding it all together in silence—If you’ve figured out how to survive but not how to feel alive—

Let’s rise. Let’s shine. Let’s get you back.

This is healing that works. This is transformation that lasts. This is AWE.