LeAnn McCrary is one of our SHE RECOVERS Foundation Online Gathering co-hosts and has been serving our community since 2022. Always quick to help out her fellow co-hosts, she holds space with a soothing presence that creates an equanimous and healing atmosphere. LeAnn is a certified holistic coach in the process of completing her SHE RECOVERS Coach Designation.
SHE RECOVERS Gems are volunteers who have been acknowledged by their peers for their profound and life-altering contributions and service to our community.
We had the honor of interviewing LeAnn McCrary about her role as a SHE RECOVERS volunteer.
What does being a SHE RECOVERS Foundation volunteer mean to you?
Being a SHE RECOVERS volunteer means I support the sustainability of a movement that is tremendously important to me. It means I contribute to making the twice-daily, inclusive, loving, and compassionate online gathering space free and available to any woman or nonbinary individual who needs it.
What made you want to become a SHE RECOVERS Foundation volunteer?
I sought out volunteering for SRF in early August 2022 to give back to an organization that has given me so much. I learn immensely from others’ shares and from articulating my own thoughts about various topics. I wanted to become part of the mechanism that makes this both possible and free.
What three words would your friends and peers use to describe you?
Compassionate, funny, and insightful.
How do these aspects of who you are show up in your everyday life?
In recovery, I find both compassion and self-compassion so necessary for the nonlinear road many of us find ourselves on. There are bumps along the way and that’s okay, I just want myself and others to get back up and keep going. I lighten my load by noticing the absurd and surprising moments in life and not taking it all too seriously. I work hard to be insightful and connect the dots from my past trauma and my recovery to keep learning and gaining wisdom.
What is something of which you are proud?
I am proud of how I show up — loyal and present — for those I love and those new to me in recovery. I am proud of my reliability as a friend who listens non-judgmentally and compassionately.
What do you do outside of your volunteer role for work and/or play?
I work as a pediatric PT treating children from birth to three years old and their families. I am also a certified coach through the Holistic Coach Training Institute. I spend time outside of work with my close network of friends going on walks with our dogs, having dinner together every Saturday night, and spending some weekends hiking in Lake Placid, NY.
What does radical self-care look like for you?
Radical self-care often looks like saying no. I often need radical self-care when I’ve done too much people-ing. Naps are also incredibly nourishing for me. Lastly, reaching out to friends who can hold my struggles has been a game changer.
Tell us a little bit about your recovery journey. What are you recovering from? What tools and resources do you weave into your patchwork of recovery?
I am in recovery from childhood trauma, depression, and alcohol use disorder as well as moral injury, perfectionism, people pleasing, and the patriarchy. I have many effective tools I’ve gathered along the way. I read a lot of quit lit and listen to recovery podcasts. I generally attend one to two SR meetings “in the squares” every day and reach out to SR friends for support. I say the Loving Kindness Prayer each day as a way to stay connected to something bigger than myself and do yoga to stay connected to my physical body.
What or who is inspiring you right now?
There are so many people in the SR squares that inspire me. We all look so average walking down the street but when we share our journeys honestly we show our bravery and strength. I am inspired every time I attend a SR gathering.
What SHE RECOVERS Intention and Guiding Principle resonates with you the most?
We answer the call to heal our past wounds and intergenerational traumas so we can live fully in the present.
What is your favorite SHE RECOVERS resource?
My favorite resource is the online gatherings, hands down. A spin-off of that is the friendships I have made just by speaking my truth and being vulnerable. I now have like-minded friends I can reach out to who understand my journey.
What is one piece of advice you would give to another woman/non-binary individual who is seeking a community like SHE RECOVERS?
Come to the meetings. Be fully true to yourself. That might mean you hang out with the camera off for a long time, but you come. Just go at the speed that is right for you, but keep coming. When you feel comfortable, share your truth. Being vulnerable is when people know you need them. And they will flock to you when you are honest about your struggles. It is very freeing once you do it. You won’t believe the support you’ll get.
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