Visions Anew Institute Inc

I went through a horrific and traumatic divorce from 2007 - 2003. I attended the retreat which would have been a wonderful benefit to me, if I had known about it before I started my proceedings. I think I went through almost every aspect of a divorce. Thanks to the retreat I went to, it helped me to understand, that many suffer as I did and you do not have to do it alone. Equally important is to make better financial or economic decision for your family's future- And this organizations helps with this process by educating you on all facets of the process and all emaotions you go through! I loved the retreat so much, that I became a volunteer fir many years!

No ONE organization or PERSON has all the answers. Only God can completely heal and change us, but the efforts I put into Visions Anew have been returned to me many times over. Divorcing after 35 yrs of marriage I felt terrified for my future and very alone until I spent the weekend 'recovering' with the speakers, staff and volunteers from VA. I did not get much rest but I did get a head full of knowledge and a plan for my single life. I encourage women who are grieving and helpless to invest in a $500. 3 day weekend to find themselves, make friends and get direction for life. The tears WILL subside so don't let them keep you away. Getting involved in a support group was a great start toward sanity.

Thank God for leading me to a Visions Anew support group meeting and subsequent weekend retreat. Divorce is as unique as the individuals and families involved and the support system provided is invaluable. They wrapped their arms around me and made information and resources available to me in a nonjudgmental environment that allowed me to choose the right path for me as an individual. I am extremely grateful for my Visions Anew family.

Visions Anew was a life saver for me. My sister heard about it and signed me up. Margot is terrific and so were the volunteers and ladies attending. Even though I live out of state and a lot of the legal information did not apply the support I received from all involved was such a blessing. I thank God for Visions Anew and would highly recommend it for anyone going through divorce. I have personally taken 2 other friends, from out of state, and they also were totally impressed and were blessed by attending! Since I attended I have been on staff 2 or 3 times and would do more if I didn't live 2 hrs. away.

Visions Anew was a very positive experience for me. I just signed my divorce papers last week, after a 2 year separation. I was married for 18 years, had 2 girls, and I worked at a optometry practice we opened together 5 years earlier. I was separated for 8 months before I went to the October 2008 retreat. I was frozen, did not want the divorce, and full of fear. I saw a lawyer, but could not seem to commit. I was still working with my ex, so confused about my options. My husband never filed because he was hoping we could do it ourselves. But the woman he left me for is a lawyer, and they had been planning it for several years. My self esteem was so low that I just could not make any decisions. A friend had been emailing information about Visions Anew for awhile. But I was too overwhelmed - I never took the time to look into it. Then someone I knew only casually felt compelled to call me and ask if I would like to go to the fall retreat with her. She did not know if my divorce was complete, but felt a higher power was telling her to contact me. I called Margot the night before the retreat, and she had just had a cancellation. I was scared to go to the retreat, and I had just signed up the night before, so I really did not know what to expect. But they welcomed me at the car...and for the first time I felt I was with people that understood what I was going through. My most memorable moment was when one of the speakers told me what I was entitled to with respect to the business. I then took advantage of the 2 free hours she offered for those attending the retreat. For the first time I had direction. I ultimately hired her for the appraisal of the business, and she referred me to a wonderful lawyer, Jonathon Tuggle, who coincidently later became part of the team of lawyers supporting Visions Anew. I think that says a lot about them. I kept my costs way down with the tools I learned from the retreat. They were impressed with how prepared I was, and I learned it all through Margot and the professional speakers. You will laugh, cry, bond, and learn a lot. You can just listen, or dive in. May I just say that it is not a mission to tell you how to handle your divorce...everyone is different. They give advice so you are empowered to do what is right for you. Information is strength. The free hours donated by professionals more than offsets the cost. I used them and it got me moving in the right direction, slowly, at my own pace. I have a peace now that it is over. I am so thankful that Visions Anew came into my life to educate me about my divorce, both practically and emotionally. Without it, I do believe I would have accepted the deal my husband was trying to give me, and I would have been very bitter if I learned after the fact that I didn't have all the facts in front of me. I still quote Margot from the retreat over a year later. I was fortunate to keep in touch and become very good friends with some of the women in my group. My roommate and I have become best friends. And I have volunteered at every retreat since and will continue to do so as my way to give back. Thank you Visions Anew!

To be honest, I wouldn't be alive today without Visions Anew's Divorce Survival Weekend, continued support by staff, counselors and friend, and opportunities to help others once I survived the divorce. The information I received was wonderful but the realization that I am not a nobody was and is priceless.

If you have money. This is an ok support group. The weekend retreat is very supportive, good food and very warm however, the speakers are really selling their services. You get very little information that can help you for your divorce. This could be a great org. It would be nice if the "Divorce Survival School" weekend really gave me something to work on to help my divorce instead of just giving me a list of services I can buy. It is nice to be aware of these services but on a pratical bases this is geared toward the upper middle class who has $20,000 for a divorce.