Her faith helps others heal By KATHERINE CARTER, Staff writer Keesha McMillian was 22 years old and had just earned her bachelor's degree in counseling when a
fateful twist pointed her in the right direction. McMillian was struck with a rare disease that paralyzed her from the waist down for one year. While even recalling the time is "traumatic,' McMillian said it did have a positive result. "It made me more sensitive to people who are struggling," she said. "It made me want to help people
survive through those struggles." McMillian enrolled at Cleveland State University where she earned a master's degree in education in counseling. She worked at a few agencies before landing at the Center for Families and Children The South Euclid resident sate she mainly sees children, many of whom are dealing with divorce,
sexual abuse or relationship problems. "To have one adult for a period :of time, where they get someone who is going to listen to them and not judge them, who cares about their welfare...I can see a tremendous difference in them," she said. McMillian also, leads a group called "Chasing the Blues Away" for women suffering from depression.
At the center; her work includes individual, family and group. She has channeled her knowledge of counseling insight into human nature into five books. The first; "The Struggle Continues: Living in the Hood" stemmed from work in East Cleveland where the need for cultural education was evident. “I wanted to develop something cultural to allow them to know their own value and set them on a
path that's positive”, she said. She took the seven principles of Kwanzaa which include unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith, and built the book around them. `In her latest book, "God's Greatest Treasure," McMillian created a mixture of fiction and nonfiction
to: explore what she believes is God's greatest treasure - love. McMillian said she often becomes caught up in her books and works on them for several months at a time: "1'm single, and I don't have children; so I think these books. have become a minibaby for me;" she said. While a few were published by agencies. McMillian has also selfpublished. The hardest part has been
getting word out, she said. "Marketing; is the most difficult part," she said. "I have contacted places that need this kind of material. I got them into bookstores, and I've also promoted them at workshops." McMillian's books also include "Who am I?", "Who Am I? Book Two" and "The Struggle Continues:
Living in the Hood - Survival". Top of Page | 
