Carly moved to Norwich a year ago from Boston. Life since then had been overwhelming, and she was facing what she described as a trifecta: a divorce that culminated in the stressful sale of her house, the loss of a loved one, and the daily demands of raising two teenagers on her own while living with chronic PTSD. “It all snowballed, and I just needed to breathe,” she said. “I was non-functional – completely exhausted.”
In the midst of all this, Carly began looking for support that could help her through. As a single parent, inpatient care wasn’t feasible. “I knew what I didn’t need,” she said. She began doing research online, and after “a lot of clicking,” she discovered Rosewood Cottage, Pathways Vermont’s short-term Peer Respite House in Williston.
She stayed for seven days, giving herself time to rest and reset. “I took two days and slept.” Other days brought simple outings, such as a visit to Shelburne Farms to see the animals, a yoga class downtown, and activities that helped her slow down and made her feel good.
One of the most powerful moments came as Carly prepared for a court date in Massachusetts with her ex-husband. She felt obligated to attend in person, wanting to prove she could handle it – but the long drive, combined with the prospect of seeing him and his new fiancée, was deeply stressful. That’s when a Rosewood staff member, Jessica, offered a different point of view: “You are strong, you don’t have to prove that.” The words resonated. Carly chose to call in instead of making the commute. It was a turning point – one that put her own well-being first. “It all worked out,” she reflected.
For Carly, what stood out most at Rosewood Cottage was the authenticity of the connection. There, she found “someone safe to talk to. No judgment, just different perspectives.” The week she spent at the Respite gave her what therapy appointments had not: “45 minutes in a therapist’s office didn’t cut it. Peer-to-peer support, that’s what I needed.”
Rosewood didn’t erase Carly’s struggles, but it gave her space to work through them differently. “I identified my critical fight or flight stuff. I had space to explore without being constantly interrupted. Now I can manage it.”
“If it wasn’t for Rosewood, I would most certainly have ended up in the hospital, which is not what I needed. What I needed was to rest and be surrounded by compassionate people.”
She hopes to return to Rosewood in the future. For now, she holds onto a simple hope: “I’m looking forward to things being different.”
