PERSONAL STORIES FROM STAR GRADUATES

FOR FIRST-TIME VISITORS

Introducing STAR

The Greatest Gift

Your STAR Experience

The Challenge and the Process

The Essence of STAR

Personal Stories

What Graduates Say

Articles about STAR

"STAR Helped Me Find My Voice Again"

Like so many others, I had learned to cope with life and all of its attendant hurts (there were many) by shutting down my emotions and pretending that things were okay, when in fact they weren’t.

I feel like STAR literally saved my life. I just couldn’t figure out why I was so unhappy and stuck. STAR got me reconnected to me – not the me that I created to survive, but the real me.

STAR amazingly created a safe place where I could...shed the incredible paralyzing fear that had taken over and ruled my life. The love and support of Barbara and the STAR staff was what enabled me to do this. STAR amazingly creates the family environment under which all children are able to grow and thrive. STAR also gave me a wonderful family that I can call on and who can call on me. I always wanted to be loved for who I was – warts and all – and STAR gave me that, and most importantly, STAR taught me how to love myself.

"What’s a Good Cancer Operation Worth?"

I was asked this a few years ago, and recently realized it applies to the cost of STAR. The most common reason I hear for not going to STAR is the cost and time involved, and I would like to offer some opinions to help put it in perspective.

As a physician, I see many different diseases, but the most common underlying condition is stress. This has been known for a very long time. It was shown that stress contributed to developing tuberculosis. For a long time, medicine ignored this and concentrated on the consequences of stress such as high blood pressure, heart disease, ulcers, asthma, alcoholism, addiction, depression, anxiety, and cancer. Now, the interrelationship of mind, body, and soul to physical and mental health is widely accepted, and stress management is starting to be more widely treated.

As a STAR graduate, I can personally attest to the effect STAR had on my own life. It brought out a true transformation. I had lived with severe mental pain, anxiety, depression, anger, and resentments. STAR was an incredible process for my healing. I learned methods to deal with anger and heal old wounds, to learn forgiveness and be rid of resentments. l learned to align my mind, heart, and soul so that I could be balanced and be in touch with my personal power and emotions, and experience happiness, joy, contentment, and serenity.

...[A]ll of us would go to great lengths to obtain the money and time off for cancer therapy or heart bypass surgery if we needed it. While STAR cannot prevent all medical illnesses, the reduction in stress will reduce your risk; it is also much more enjoyable than chemotherapy or surgery. Why not...attend STAR, perhaps avoid serious illness, and live a better life as well?