Introducing Katie
June 16, 2021
My name is Katie Wilson and I’m a counsellor at Adeara. I’m currently working toward my hours to receive my Addiction Counsellor II certification. I’ve completed programs with The Addiction Academy and Genesis and I have trained in Inner Healing with Ellel Ministries Canada. I am also a Relapse Prevention Specialist, Interventionist, and Love & Respect Marriage mentor.
I became involved with Adeara through my daughter, Chloe. We had just switched schools and Chloe became fast friends with the daughter of Adeara’s Executive Director, Lori. Chloe kept telling me I needed to meet Lori because she worked in addictions too. When we finally met, I told Lori the story of how my husband Jeremi and I became involved in addiction recovery.
Our family has experienced addiction and the recovery process first-hand. Jeremi has suffered with an alcohol and cocaine addiction. In 2017, Jeremi attended Valiant Recovery to get help. After completing 120 days in recovery, Jeremi sold his welding business and went back to school to earn his Addiction Counselling II certification. I followed suit. Jeremi and I wanted other families to experience the restoration, healing, and freedom our family had found in recovery. Our life calling and passion is to help people caught in any manner of addiction to recover. We live to see them walking free.
When Lori asked if I would volunteer at Adeara and teach The Genesis Process, I was excited to accept. My time spent volunteering was wonderful. I never wanted to leave! I could envision myself working at Adeara, so I prayed the Lord would open the doors for it to happen and He did. After a year of volunteering, I was hired as a counsellor.
At Adeara I spent my days listening to the women and being a source of information for them. I’m learning and loving with them through their journeys. I love supporting them, guiding them and helping them to understand the underlying causes of their addictions, their thoughts and what drives their behaviours. This has never felt like a job to me. I love coming to work every day. I haven’t lived in addiction myself, but I have lived through it. At the end of the day, I want to be an example of God’s love and freedom because that is what people remember long after they’ve forgotten your words.
One of my favourite quotes is by Jon Acuff, who said: “The scars you share become lighthouses for other people who are headed to the same rocks you hit.” I feel honoured to be a part of these women’s lives and their journey. It’s not something I take lightly.
Having Jesus at the centre of what I do is most important to me. I’m here to love these women the way Jesus does. We all deserve that kind of love. I’m going to spend the rest of my life helping people feel less broken.