IN THE NEWS
-Find Your Voice Now
Support for Women in Toxic Relationships
FIND YOUR VOICE NOW is a nonproft organization founded by Annie Roth and Mary Ellen Bartlett with the mission of supporting women in toxic relationships who are feeling unheard. Whether the relationship is with a controlling, emotionally abusive partner, or a friend, sibling, parent, or co-worker, Find Your Voice Now welcomes women who feel alone and are searching for strength to believe in themselves.
Annie lives in Beachwood and Mary Ellen in Detroit. They met on a flight to Seattle and struck up a conversation, talking about their previous relationships (both very unhealthy and toxic), and their current, healthy marriages. They encountered each other again. serendipitously on the same flight home. Annie shared that she's a certified wellness coach, and that a dream of hers was to write a book or create a support group for women dealing with toxic relationships, something that wasn't available to her when she needed it. This dream resonated with Mary Ellen, who said she wanted to partner with Annie.
Annie Roth and Mary Ellen Bartlett
The two established a friendship with this goal in mind and kicked off Find Your Voice Now by forming meetup chapters in believing in Cleveland and Detroit, along with creating a flourishing online community.

"This group was established as a safe space to share, discuss, and/or simply listen to other women who may be going through similar hardships." Annie told us. "We are not therapists. This is a support group that discusses topics that relate to helping women find their own inner strength to be happy.

"The idea for this support group had been brewing for many years, from a time when I needed help and truly had nowhere to go." Annie continued. "Private therapy was not always affordable. It was challenging to find support that would help navigate toxic relationships.

"I didn't have, or hadn't yet acquired the strength and confidence to say, "This is not acceptable", to set boundaries or to even acknowledge my own capabilities. Giving in was often easiest than arguing," she said.  "Breakthroughs happened when I started believing in myself again, loving myself again, and stopped doing things that didn't feel right."

Find Your Voice Now meeting schedule and sign-up details online.  For more information, contact Annie at findyourvoice613@gmail.com also find Your Voice Now is also on Facebook, Instagram, ard Meet-Up. Our one hour session provides a safe space for women to share their stories with others for support and understanding. Plans for guest speakers will include psychologists, counselors, and social workers to add insight and assistance. The group also discusses a variety of books that are educational and supportive in nature.

"When I was going through this difficult time", says Annie, "I did not have anyone to turn to who truly understood me and what I was going through." I was insecure, had low self-esteem, and felt very alone. A domestic counselor helped me find my voice and now I want to pay it forward. Find Your Voice Now will always be a free support group so that anyone and everyone can afford the support they seek; any women who is dealing with a toxic relationship, whether personal or a work, who wants support navigating and finding her voice, is welcome."

Find Your Voice Now currently has 240 members from all over the world. It's goal is to have local chapters throughout the United States and beyond where women have a safe space to share their feelings, find their voices and feel heard.

Find Your Voice Now will always be a free support group so that anyone and everyone can afford the support they seek; any woman who is dealing with a toxic relationship, whether personal or at work, who wants support navigating and finding her voice, is welcome.
Mary Beth
Mary Ellen Bartlett has recently returned to Michigan after living in California for over 30 years. She now lives in Detroit and works as a Supervisor at the sports venues there. This job allows her to help people have a good time doing something they love while creating wonderful memories in the process. She is also a Certified Massage Therapist and has taught Pilates.

Last year, Mary Ellen started ‘Find Your Voice Now’ with Annie. Their friendship and non-profit support group grew out of a personal desire for connection and sisterhood with other women. Her experiences and struggles are similar to so many other people and she strongly believes sharing stories and listening to each other helps us all to heal our wounds and find our own powerful voices.