Welcome!

Have you ever looked back at your life and just said, WTF?

This was not how it was supposed to turn out.

Like, if it was a movie, people would have turned it off by now. But you can’t turn it off, because it’s literally your life.

We come into this world with a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure option, except you don’t get to choose your setting or your fellow characters.

And somewhere along the way, the plot twists have just gotten ridiculous.

Abuse

Betrayal

Illness

Death

Abandonment

Infertility

Cheating spouse

Divorce

Friends who leave

Pets die

Church people shun you

Mental health issues

Suicidal ideation

Financial setbacks

And on and on…

Is there a happy ending anywhere?

I was the good girl. I was the oldest child of a preacher. I tried really, really hard. I did what they said, I followed the rules. I was even one of those people who drove the exact speed limit, which annoyed literally everyone.

I married the guy I met at church camp. I was in the church choir, I stayed home with the kids, and I did all the “right” things.

I should have had a great life, right?

Nope. It all went to hell, and everything I thought I knew got turned upside down.

I would never have chosen the way things turned out. Or at least, I would not have picked my particular life path off a “life” menu.

However, I did want a life that mattered, a story that could help someone. And guess what? It turns out that all of the things that happened to me are the key to what I am doing with my life: helping others find their way to a better story and the right ending.

No one, especially me, wants help from someone “perfect”. Someone who hasn’t had any problems, who has led a charmed life with security and love and success and who hasn’t made big mistakes and had big comebacks.

Why?

Because they won’t understand what you’ve been through. They won’t know the best way out of it. They won’t have the scars or the empathy or the validation.

I’ve hired almost a dozen coaches myself over the past 7 years, spending thousands of dollars in the process. I found some value in each of them, although many made big promises and didn’t actually care about me.

I am grateful for all of them, the good and the bad, because I learned what to do and what NOT to do, saving myself years of isolated struggle in the process. And how to help others in a way that is authentic, caring, and spiritual instead of fake, impersonal and greedy.

If you’re here, chances are good that your path has not been easy.

In fact, you are:

Stressed and depressed

Exhausted/not sleeping well

Reliving traumatic memories

Feeling abandoned/betrayed even though you did EVERYTHING

Stuck going around and around instead of up or forward

And you’re at the point of “this has to get better or just let me die,” and absolutely no one seems to understand or to listen.

And even though you’re spiritual/you believe in God, you’re getting pretty cynical about that because if He exists, WHY IS IT LIKE THIS?

Church hasn’t helped.

Therapy hasn’t helped.

Friends have left.

Family gives you the side eye.

Your career has not brought satisfaction.

Love seems far away.

As the Message translation puts it:

My life was an open wound that wouldn’t heal.

I’m awake all night–not a wink of sleep.

I can’t even say what’s bothering me.

I’ve had my fill of trouble; I’m camped on the edge of hell.

I’m written off as a lost cause, one more statistic, a hopeless case.

Abandoned as already dead, one more body in a stack of corpses.

I’m caught in a maze and can’t find my way out,

Blinded by tears of pain and frustration.

Psalm 77 and 88 excerpts, MSG translation

Is there hope?

Yes. I’ve found that no matter what happens, it will be okay. All will be well.

How do I know this?

I’ve been there.

About me:

I’m a divorced ex-fundamentalist mom of 4 kids from Korea and a survivor of religious and narcissistic abuse. I can’t watch movies where animals get hurt or die. I love Korean food and emotional music and weird conversations and innovations that help heal the planet and the people on it.

I’m a writer and a coach, although I’ve worn many other hats along the way, including music teacher, tutor, ELA teacher for kids with learning differences, and more.

I’m probably a little bit on the spectrum and have spent most of my life doing what other people wanted instead of getting to know my authentic self.

Freedom is worth it, and love is always the best answer.

Along the way, I’ve made all the mistakes.

I’ve made poor choices in my relationships, in my career, and in my reactions. Embarrassing and chaotic and with long-term consequences for me and for my kids. It took me years to dig out and to figure out who I really was.

In the process of becoming myself, I left a cult, got shunned, divorced a cheating narcissist, have been the parent to kids who struggled with addiction, mental illness, suicidal ideation, criminality, and abandonment issues.

I’ve lost everything and moved cross-country twice in 3 months. I’ve gone out with losers and assholes. I’ve let people treat me like dirt.

Along the way, I had to learn stuff I didn’t even know existed in order to conquer the giants and salvage my story.

Sometimes the giants are other people, sometimes they’re the voice in your own head, and sometimes they’re voices from the dark side. When nothing works in the natural, you have to go to the spiritual. God is already there, and there is a solution.

The good news?

My kids are healing beautifully, I’m seeing how my path was actually the best one for me to extricate myself from toxic thinking that leads to terrible outcomes, I know who I am and why I’m here, I’m helping others who are on the same journey, I’m physically, emotionally, and spiritually well, and I’m optimistic about the future instead of waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Peace is possible, no matter how big the storm has been or how long it has been raging.

Love wins.

I’ve found out that there are a lot of people who actually care and are doing something about what’s wrong with the world. There is hope. Change is real.

You just need someone who’s already been through it to come alongside until you can believe that AND SEE IT HAPPEN.

Many of us were not released into our destinies by the people who should have blessed us. Instead, they used us, gaslit us, abused us, taken us for all we’re worth, and then abandoned us after they turned us into beef jerky.

If this sounds familiar to you, maybe it’s time to start salvaging your story.

A story is built one word, one sentence, one paragraph at a time. And it involves LOTS of editing. rearranging, cutting, and rewriting. It’s agonizing. But people do it all the time.

You don’t have to throw it away. It can be salvaged.

A life is built one minute, one hour, one day, and one decision at a time. We can’t change what they did to us, but we can choose what to do next. We can choose what to cut. We can choose a new ending.

Starting with healing from what they did to us and what we did to ourselves.

And ending with a whole new story–a thriller with a happy ending.

Imagine life in your best story.

You wake up and realize that you actually slept well–no nightmares, no tossing and turning, no sleep aids. No feeling of dread. You’re not terrified to answer your phone or check your emails. You have hope and a glimmer of an idea of what you are here to do, and why it’s been so damn hard.

You’re connected to your authentic self, you know your purpose, you attract others who feel the same way, you start to see how the patterns of your life brought you to this moment for a reason.

You start to realize that you’re not a loser; in fact, the reason you’ve been hit so hard for so long is that you and your story are what the world needs right now.

There’s no point in attacking something worthless. That means if you’ve been delayed, hindered, blocked, slandered, betrayed, overlooked, or abused, it’s because your value is high enough to attract attention from the opposition.

You could keep struggling, circling the mountain over and over again, waiting for it to be your turn.

Or you could reach out and get help.

I know you’re more used to helping others than asking for help, but what if it gets you to your best story faster? What if, a year from now, you look back and everything is different?

I’m here. I’ve been where you are. I know how other people can see angles we can’t see ourselves. Let me help.

She took me where I couldn’t get to by myself.

That’s what a great coach does.

Tara Vanderveer, the most winning coach of all time, about her piano teacher (quoted in the NYT)

If you decide to work with me, *I keep it simple.

It’s just you and me on Zoom (or in person at a coffee shop or pub, if you’re local), connecting powerfully in a safe space. You’re being heard, seen, supported, and understood by someone who knows what it feels like to be interrupted, overlooked, gaslighted, and turned away.

We look at your past story, the one you’re telling yourself now, and the one you want to write. We find ways to edit what’s not working and do more of what is working. We tune in to wisdom and intuition and listen to that still small voice that knows who you are, what your gifts are, and what you should do next. We aim directly for your best story with the happiest ending.

Who this is for: you, if you have felt like an outsider and black sheep, are self-aware and spiritually attuned but always put others first; have been molested; are afraid people would think you’re crazy if they knew the kind of things you’ve seen or experienced; are used to walking on eggshells due to an emotionally reactive parent or spouse; and are the kind of person who knows you could do it if you just had a little help. You grew up in church, but they let you down. You’re sick of the lack of love and the hypocrisy. You know there’s more, but you can’t find it alone. And sometimes you sit and think, who could I even call about this? It’s too much.

Chances are, you already know in your gut if this is right for you or not.

What if you can save years of your life being stuck and instead move forward to the good chapters?

If so, let’s connect and get this party started. Three ways:

Use the form below to request a free, 15-minute consultation with me.

Or email me at elizabeth@salvagingyourstory.com to schedule a consultation if you don’t see a time that works for you.

If not, I thank you for your time and I bless you on your path.

~Elizabeth Park

*No pricy courses, books, gimmicks, or Facebook groups to join.*

Book a free exploratory call below:

How can we work together?

One on one coaching: 

Free consultation–15 minutes

1 session one-on-one: $111

8 weeks @ 2 times a week, plus 2 emergency calls: $888

12 months: 1 time a week plus unlimited text, $2222

*Scholarships available for financial need

Exit interview with former client, M in Florida:

What specific problem or obstacle did you think I could help you with when you decided to reach out?

Getting extracted from narcissistic relationship, healing after, identify and exit.

How was it impacting your life?

Health—not good, sick all the time low-level depressed/fatigued, trying to remember…was hard living for me, to have such a controlling person even if they don’t mean to be; felt stopped-up, spiritually constipated, quicksand all the time.

Afterwards:

I have my freedom, and that’s all I ever wanted, so nice not to have a commander, judging and making rules for you. Am noticing am more confident now, even after another bad relationship. Second one in a different costume and it just went through in months.

Not having someone just saying little subtle cut-downs all the time

Unnoticeable condescending remarks, not having that all the time

Affirmations, writing things down helps so much.

Did you feel supported?  

Very much so, very good at connecting with people, mirrored, authentically alike, very comfortable.

What worked for you?

Good at validating, not used to that, not accustomed to getting a lot of it; not crazy and it’s not okay, and can leave, it’s possible.

Felt empowered.

Without reservation validated that it was something I should let go