SHANE LASWELL

Founder/Pastor

Hello, my name is Shane, a person in long-term recovery and just an average guy who was lucky enough to be gifted a second chance at life. If I am being honest, I should not be here today, but God's grace and calling on my life kept me alive. I have struggled with trauma, substance use, and mental health issues from the age of eight until 23 days before my 39th birthday. On April 9, 2012, I checked into an inpatient treatment center, admitting that I was powerless and that my life was unmanageable. When I woke up on April 10, 2012, it was finally time to start working on my issues and discovering why I was given this incredible second chance. For the past ten years, I have continued to work on these issues by addressing them head-on with doctors, a therapist, a sponsor, a huge support team, a loving family, and by helping others – better known as the 12th step. I can only do this because others have paved the way before me and shown me how.

If I am honest with you, my education is informal. Still, I continue to educate myself by continuing education classes in counseling, substance use, mental health, and other areas. I hold multiple counseling certificates, a Missouri Associate Alcohol Drug Counselor (MAADC-I) credential, an Ordained Pastor, a Licensed Local Pastor for the United Methodist Church, a State Rep for Celebrate Recovery, and my life experience of working recovery. Over the years, I have had amazing sponsors and mentors who have guided me in the 12 steps, individual counseling, therapy modalities, ethics, and couples counseling. I am knowledgeable in medication management, treatment modalities, and treatment types for mental health, compulsive disorders, and substance use disorders. My background in sales has helped me build relationships with treatment centers both in-state and out-of-state to get others' help. This has helped families, so they do not have to navigate this process alone. I am proficient in how health insurance works regarding getting into treatment and counseling services. I am always willing to learn and sign up for continuing education classes to gain knowledge and be mentored to continue to help the next person struggling.

The Recovery Center has been a dream of mine for the past four years. I knew that this was something that the community needed, and it was the missing component. I know that long-term sobriety for any behavioral health issue is challenging, as support for this in the community is lacking. Opening this recovery center will bridge this gap and help others achieve life change, life-long healing, and long-term sobriety. If something like this had been open when I started recovery, it would have made my recovery journey easier after treatment. Also, it would have helped my mother and daughters get the support they needed simultaneously.

I know that if God can take me, a guy who messed up his own life and everyone else's around him, and change him to help others, He can do it for anyone. I want to walk this journey with you and help you see that change is possible.

When I’m not at church, counseling, meetings, or doing interventions, you will most likely find me hanging out with my amazing wife enjoying date night or just relaxing watching TV. Now, if you ask people, they will tell you that I am still just a kid at heart because I enjoy decompressing and playing Xbox with my kids and friends. One more of my passions and a big piece of ministry is playing disc golf. It is so much fun taking people out and showing them that there are plenty of fun things to do when you are clean and sober.