Goodbye Fulshear: A Staff Testimonial

I just drove out the driveway from The Ranch: Fulshear Treatment to Transition.

For the last year, I have been working in a job for which I could never express the amount of gratitude that I have. This job is not something I necessarily wanted to fall into, and not necessarily something that I ever thought I would be good at. And yet, for the last year I’ve developed into an incredible version of myself.

“For the last year I’ve developed into an incredible version of myself.”

It’s all thanks to the amazing women that have been placed into my life. Women that have felt hopeless, women that didn’t want to live anymore, women that wanted to hurt themselves because they couldn’t stand the pain of their emotional distress. Women that have had horrible, horrifying, traumatic events happen to them. Women that were so scared, lost, and confused that they didn’t know how to have relationships. Women that didn’t understand how powerful and amazing they truly are on the inside. I worked with these women and I got to see them blossom into incredible people that knew who they were, what they cared about, and what they wanted for their lives.

“I worked with these women and I got to see them blossom into incredible people that knew who they were, what they cared about, and what they wanted for their lives.”

These women were young. Some of them were 18 years old. They withstood some serious wrongdoings in their lives. Events happened to them that they never asked for. Dysfunction in the family system that they never really wanted, that they didn’t even know was not their fault. Just incredible people, and they taught me so much. They taught me how to be who I truly am, in all of my forms and fashions. They taught me how to have fun when a lot of times I like to be serious. They taught me how to give and receive really positive, and also constructive feedback.

They listened, and they didn’t listen. They resisted, and they didn’t resist. It’s hard to explain exactly what takes place at The Ranch. It’s almost something that you have to see for yourself. They work so hard, they dig so deep into their emotional stuff that it only empowers you, as a staff member, to do the same.

Whenever people asked me what I did for work, I felt so full of pride. I work at a place that inspires people to grow, and a place that says, “Hey, it’s cool that you have these mental health challenges. We get it, and we’re here to help you learn how to live your life in a healthy way even with them.” People would hear that I work at a residential treatment center and say, “Oh, that must be really hard.”

“They work so hard, they dig so deep into their emotional stuff that it only empowers you, as a staff member, to do the same.”

Yeah, it’s really hard, but it’s really freaking cool, too! I’ve never experienced more life than I have at Fulshear. I’ve never experienced more growth than I have at Fulshear. I’ve never experienced more bravery and kindness and compassion and empathy. It’s almost hard to put to words. I’ve seen some horrifying things and yet I’ve also seen some of the most life-giving, amazing things too.

“I’ve never experienced more bravery and kindness and compassion and empathy.”

And I’m leaving today, driving out of the driveway and looking back and I’m saying, Wow, thank you. Thank you to the women that think that I did so much for them. I didn’t do anything—I just showed up. You’re the ones that do all the work. I can say that I did a wonderful job at facilitating a safe and secure space for people to grow, and for people to feel loved and for people to feel validated. And yet, I was there and they did the work.

I got to sit in a graduation today of one of my wonderful clients. I watched her smile and laugh and cry and feel grateful and excited for her journey. And I remember the times when she was not able to get out of bed and she was crying and she couldn’t handle living her life. And I remember those times when I got to be there with her, and I got to tell her “Hey, I totally get where you’re at. And I also see this big picture vision for you.” And in the big picture vision, I saw her graduating. And it was so amazing to be able to see that today. The culmination of all of her efforts, the culmination of all of the work that she’s done over the last almost year of her time at Fulshear.

I will always look back on my time at Fulshear Treatment to Transition and know that I did incredible, powerful, impactful work. I will always look back on that time and also know that the girls I got to work with did incredible, powerful, impactful work. I am honored to have been a part of their journey.

“I am honored to have been a part of their journey.”