A Change of Heart Foundation, LLC was born out of the idea that any pain can be healed, and that the key to healing is inside each of us at our very core in how we see the world. At A Change of Heart we firmly believe that through accepting one’s story, getting really honest about it and learning to let go of the fear that holds us bound in suffering, anything can be overcome. It takes a great deal of hard work and faith to heal from abuse, neglect, addiction and the harmful choices of ourselves and others.
Through learning to have an intimate connection with ourselves and God, as we each understand Him, we have learned to also navigate relationships with others around us in ways that are more healthful and properly boundaried. Through responsible self-care and learning to ask ourselves the tough questions, we have found healing and relief from deep wounds and ingrained addictive, self-destructive patterns that have long held us prisoner.
We are developing a recovery manual to be used in Recovery Meetings. Recovery Meetings at A Change of Heart will be 12 step based and we are seeking approval from AA. There will be online training sessions and informational meetings for those who desire to begin their own Recovery Meeting based on the A Change of Heart model. With God at our center and healing as the goal, we are seeking to set up these groups both online and in communities. Participants will not be separated by label or diagnosis. We have seen that addiction, destructive behavior, betrayal trauma, shame, fear and abuse know no gender, no socio-economic status, no religion or lack thereof, and are in no way limited to any group. In the interest of safety, the only distinction is biological gender. Because we feel the same fear and shame based beliefs and spiritual dis-ease cause all human trauma, we also believe the cure is the same: acceptance of the past and hope in the future; learning to live fully in the present; personal responsibility and self-efficacy in effecting change in one’s own life; and learning to have loving, appropriately connected and intimate relationships with safe significant others. We are responsible for our own lives and the conditions of them. No one is required to participate, everyone is welcome.
We are further seeking to build a responsible and interactive collective of individuals, community resources and professionals to work together and network around common themes. This collective will be under "The Reclaim Project" heading coming in 2015/2016. For updates, contact us here.
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Founder- Lacy Bentley
Lacy has been participating in addiction recovery and 12 Step programs since late 1999. In 2000 she co-founded Eating Disorder Recovery Groups of Las Vegas with a friend. Together they ran a group for 5 years. They also educated in the community on eating disorders at local Junior High and High schools to students, faculty and coaches as well as groups of school nurses and counselors. Rooms full of young women are still her favorite audience. She is currently studying Behavioral Science at Utah Valley University with a concentration in Psychology. Her hobbies include hanging out with her husband and their four amazing boys while watching movies or playing games. She loves word play and laughing with anyone who will play along. As a dedicated blogger she has an international audience that reaches Russia, the UK, Korea and Germany. Her current passion is the development of the A Change of Heart Foundation and organization of The Reclaim Project through conferences and events aimed at empowering individuals, families and communities to find healing from life experiences with faith and personal efficacy. With Reclaim Conferences the A Change of Heart team is seeking to build an online network of professionals, resources and individuals seeking to connect and create change around common dialogues and passions. Lacy feels called to empower women to stand up for marriage, family, home and faith. As a public speaker she most enjoys topics of self awareness and personal growth as well as women's unique mental health concerns and healthy sexuality. She and her husband of 17 years are sharing their passion for the reclamation of love and family through the A Change of Heart Foundation.
Founder- Margareta Jeppesen
Margareta is also the proud mamma of four amazing boys. She has been married to her husband for 12 years and states this is the happiest year in her marriage. She is currently a senior in the Social Work program at Brigham Young University-Idaho. She is working towards becoming a counselor who specializes in helping others recover from betrayal trauma and sex addiction. In 2010 her world was turned upside-down as her husband disclosed his sex addiction. This led them on a journey to find treatment and recovery. For two years they struggled to find healing because the help available was in its infancy. Not a whole lot was known about sexual addiction or the trauma that the spouse goes through living in a household afflicted with addiction. In 2012 Margareta and her husband found the LifeSTAR Network and were placed on the path of recovery through many fine programs. Since then she has found herself in league with the leaders in sexual addiction recovery. The Lord has directed her path to be a guide and a friend to those deep in the trenches navigating addiction and not knowing the way out. Margareta feels a personal call to help other women who have been affected by a loved one’s sex addiction. She started an SAL 12-Step women’s betrayal trauma recovery support group in her hometown. She has planned community events and is hosting recovery conferences.
Web and Graphic Designer- Emma Heath
Emma is passionate about creating beauty through graphic design and writing. She loves opportunities to use those talents to share her beliefs and take part in projects that spread truth, making Change of Heart a perfect fit. Growing up in a home where sex addiction was present has pushed her towards programs like A Change of Heart, which have brought healing and peace to her and her family. Now living in a recently emotionally rebuilt home she is continuing to mend relationships and heal from the trauma of the first seventeen years of her life, and is finding opportunities to share what she's learning through that journey, with other people. She is about to begin her Senior year of High School and is looking forward to continuing her study of graphic design and writing as much as she can. Technical Support- Jon Bentley
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