About Us
Surviving the Dark & Embracing the Dawn is dedicated to guiding individuals through life’s most challenging moments toward hope and renewal. We believe that no one should face their struggles alone. Our mission is to create a safe, compassionate space where people can connect with others who understand their journey, share their experiences openly, and find strength in community support.
Through our virtual support groups, we provide accessible, judgment-free environments where healing begins. Whether you’re navigating grief, mental health challenges, life transitions, or personal crises, our trained facilitators and caring community members are here to walk alongside you. We’re committed to helping you transition from darkness to dawn—from despair to hope, isolation to connection, and pain to purpose.
Our Support Services
Alicia Lakin, LPC-MHSP
For the past 25 years, I have worked as a therapist helping individuals navigate life’s challenges, heal from emotional pain, and build healthier, more fulfilling lives. My professional focus includes emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, anxiety, depression, trauma recovery, self-esteem, relationship concerns, caregiver burnout, financial stress and burnout, work-related burnout, and the overwhelming effects of chronic stress.
In addition to my clinical training and professional experience, I bring a personal understanding of many of the struggles my clients face. Having experienced trauma, anxiety, depression, and periods of significant life stress in my own journey, I understand the courage it takes to seek help, confront painful experiences, and work toward healing. These experiences have deepened my empathy and strengthened my commitment to creating a safe, compassionate, and nonjudgmental space where individuals feel seen, heard, and understood.
Throughout my career, I have worked with people from diverse backgrounds who are struggling with overwhelming emotions, difficult relationships, traumatic experiences, grief, life transitions, caregiver fatigue, workplace stress, financial pressures, and other mental health challenges. I understand how the demands of caring for others, balancing work responsibilities, and managing financial strain can leave people feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and disconnected from themselves and those they love.
I believe that healing is possible and that every person has the capacity for growth, resilience, and positive change. My approach combines evidence-based therapeutic techniques with genuine compassion, authenticity, and respect for each person’s unique journey.
In my groups, participants learn practical skills for managing intense emotions, reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms, improving communication, setting healthy boundaries, and developing stronger relationships. I help individuals identify unhelpful patterns, increase self-awareness, and build tools for coping with stress, burnout, and adversity. Group members are encouraged to support one another while developing confidence, emotional resilience, and a greater sense of connection.
I am particularly passionate about helping individuals who feel emotionally depleted by caregiving responsibilities, workplace demands, financial stress, or the pressures of daily life. Together, we work to restore balance, strengthen coping skills, and create healthier ways of responding to life’s challenges.
I am passionate about helping people recognize their strengths, rediscover hope, and create meaningful changes in their lives. Whether you are working through trauma, struggling with anxiety or depression, experiencing burnout, seeking healthier relationships, or simply looking to better understand yourself, my goal is to provide guidance, support, and practical skills that empower you to move forward with greater confidence and well-being.
I believe that healing occurs through connection, self-compassion, and the willingness to take small but meaningful steps toward change. It is an honor to walk alongside individuals on their journey toward recovery, growth, and a more balanced, fulfilling, and meaningful life.
Lisa Mink, LMSW
As a dedicated social worker with extensive experience supporting children, families, and individuals through some of life’s most challenging circumstances. I am passionate about helping people find strength, hope, and resilience during times of uncertainty and transition. My work focuses on providing compassionate support, practical guidance, and advocacy for families facing medical, emotional, and social challenges.
As a 16-year breast cancer survivor, I bring both professional knowledge and personal understanding to my work with children and families impacted by cancer. I understand the emotional, physical, and psychological effects that a cancer diagnosis can have on individuals and their loved ones. My lived experience allows me to connect with families in a meaningful way as they navigate treatment, survivorship, caregiving responsibilities, fear, grief, and the many adjustments that accompany serious illness. I am committed to helping families build resilience, strengthen communication, and maintain hope throughout their journey.
In addition to my work with oncology patients and their families, I have extensive experience helping children and families navigate foster care placements, kinship care, reunification, guardianship, and adoption. I understand the unique challenges that children, caregivers, foster parents, and adoptive families face as they build trust, adjust to change, and develop healthy attachments. My approach emphasizes trauma-informed care, emotional safety, family stability, and the importance of creating nurturing environments where children can thrive.
I am also deeply committed to supporting single parents as they balance the demands of caregiving, work, finances, and personal well-being. Whether working with single mothers raising children independently or single fathers navigating parenthood on their own, I strive to create a supportive environment where parents feel understood, empowered, and equipped with practical tools and resources. I recognize the unique strengths and challenges that single parents experience and work collaboratively to help them build confidence, strengthen family relationships, and reduce feelings of isolation.
My group facilitation style is warm, inclusive, and strengths-based. I believe that every individual and family possesses resilience and the capacity for growth, even during difficult times. Through education, peer support, and meaningful connection, I help participants develop coping skills, improve communication, navigate life transitions, and discover new sources of hope and empowerment.
Throughout my career, I have witnessed the remarkable courage of children, parents, caregivers, and survivors who continue to move forward despite adversity. It is an honor to walk alongside individuals and families as they heal, adapt, and grow. My goal is to create a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental space where participants can share their experiences, learn from one another, and find the encouragement needed to face life’s challenges with strength and confidence.
I believe that healing occurs through connection, compassion, and community. Whether you are coping with cancer, supporting a loved one through illness, navigating foster care or adoption, or managing the responsibilities of single parenthood, you do not have to face these challenges alone. Together, we can build resilience, foster hope, and create pathways toward healing and positive change.
Danielle Miller, Certified Holistic Health Practitioner
I have been living with fibromyalgia since 2011. After years of searching for answers and experiencing multiple misdiagnoses, I finally received an official diagnosis in 2023. Determined to improve my quality of life, I began an in-depth journey into natural approaches for managing fibromyalgia. I became a certified Holistic Health Practitioner, continued my education in nutrition and naturopathy, and regularly participate in educational webinars focused on chronic illness, wellness, and holistic healing.
Throughout my journey, I discovered that healing extends beyond physical symptoms. I recognized the profound connection between trauma, mental health, and chronic pain, leading me to focus on healing past trauma while developing healthy strategies to manage daily challenges and create balance in mind, body, and spirit. Inspired by my own experiences, I am passionate about sharing the knowledge, tools, and hope I have found with others facing similar struggles.
I have developed a support group designed for women living with fibromyalgia who are also navigating the emotional impact of trauma, chronic stress, anxiety, and persistent pain. In a safe, compassionate, and nonjudgmental environment, participants will explore the relationship between trauma, the nervous system, and chronic illness while learning practical, evidence-informed and holistic strategies to improve daily functioning and overall well-being.
Group discussions and educational topics may include stress management, nervous system regulation, emotional resilience, self-compassion, healthy boundaries, coping with flare-ups, effective communication, nutrition and lifestyle support, and practical tools for promoting healing. Most importantly, this group offers a community of women who truly understand the unique challenges of living with fibromyalgia and trauma. Through education, encouragement, and shared experiences, participants can reduce isolation, build meaningful connections, and develop lasting strategies to support healing, resilience, and the best possible quality of life.