Are you ready to resign from unattainable motherhood standards and unbalanced self-sacrifice? Are you longing to end the constant fear that stems from others insisting that your child is broken and damaged? Are you looking to halt the compassion fatigue cycles that have left you a shell of your former self? Climbing From Despair to Grace is a no-holds barred memoir of twenty-seven years immersed in special needs motherhood trench warfare. Karen Hasselo believed her responsibility was to fix Mark, dually diagnosed with autism and bipolar disorder. After navigating through terminal sorrow, divorce, placing Mark in an adolescent residential center, long-term chronic illness and constant combat advocacy mode, she realized there had to be a better way forward. Karen declares that our children are opening our hearts and teaching us how to actualize the power of unconditional love, by inviting us into our own exploration of self-love, self-compassion and self-empowerment. With our beautiful children serving as our guides, they catalyze our healing hearts to move in tandem with theirs, as we act to co-create the ripe conditions for them to reach their highest potential! Karen leads you rung by rung up the empowerment ladder, as she outlines her many lessons and the hard earned wisdom that she didn't practice during Mark's childhood. She is committed to sharing a new motherhood paradigm that allows everyone to sing his or her greatest song!