I'm Wendy Gussler, owner and case manager for FLM Case Management.
Addiction is powerful! It consumes lives, and highjacks families. In 2010, I found myself in a hopeless and broken place, addicted to alcohol. I was struggling to raise five children as a single parent. My alcoholism devoured my every waking moment. After many failed attempts, I found the willingness to get help, attended inpatient rehabilitation and found a life in recovery that has proved to be meaningful and purposeful.

My journey in the addiction recovery industry began 5 years later, when I started working as a sober companion, for Shine A Light Addiction Specialists. I took to this type of work quickly and developed a great passion for helping those newly in recovery to navigate their newfound sobriety and build their foundation. I soon had an opportunity to progress to case manager and spent much of my time running the company side by side with the owner Doug Casper, learning the ins and out of the business, what to watch for, and how to manage crisis. What I recognized was that many suffering with this disease and other cooccurring disorders simply needed structure and guidance on how to create a life post treatment, and it was the daily living that most were falling short on. I also learned that recovery is not linear, it is a process.

I went back to college at the age of 46 years and obtained my Bachelors in Addiction Counseling from Ottawa University in May of 2020. With Covid-19 in full force, I established FLM Case Management Services in April 2020, focusing on helping clients of all ages and backgrounds build sustainable recovery. I believe we all have strengths and weaknesses. I highlight a strengths-based approach in my work that supports self-efficacy and self-awareness, which in turn allows individuals to have agency and discipline in their lives.