Marshall

About Our Coordinator:

Teri, a native of Spring Valley, Minnesota, began working at the Marshall Regional Resource Center in November 2008. After working in a variety of positions involving direct care and advocacy, Teri is excited about using her skills and experience to help others at CSN.

“Struggling with mental illness and going through good times and bad times, I’ve been really frustrated with the lack of a voice that people have, and I want to do something about that,” she says.

After graduating summa cum laude from Mankato State University with degrees in speech and theatre, Teri began graduate school at Wartburg Theological Seminary — as a newlywed and expectant mother. During her second year Teri experienced her first major depression and hospitalization. She left school, got divorced and struggled with custody issues due to her psychiatric label.

Over the next decade Teri experienced recurring bouts of severe depression that deeply affected both her personal and professional life. When Teri was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, she was able to make the connection between her mental and physical health and take steps to regain her wellness.

“I have learned that there are things I need to do, “ Teri says. “I need to get adequate sleep and get exercise and keep stress levels down. If I don’t take care and take the medicine for my fatigue, I get depressed. It’s a real balancing act.”

Teri volunteers as an EMT and enjoys spending time with her four children and reading romance novels. She continues to work her own WRAP and share her story with others.

“Recovery is more than taking your medicine and seeing your therapist,” she says. “It’s also personal responsibility. There are choices we make that contribute to our illness and we need to recognize the things we have control over. We need to develop the skills to control symptoms and differentiate between what are the symptoms of our illness and what are choices in our behavior. We can actually work on those issues and significantly reduce the risk of becoming ill.”