SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Connie Roberts had been in therapy for 30 years. Struggling through years of abuse at the hands of her husband, who is the father of her two boys, Roberts gave up on life hundreds of times. In and out of the hospital for attempting to take her own life, she just wanted the pain to end.

"Many times I ended up in the hospital in intensive care," she said. "I would wake up and wonder why they'd revived me and not just let me go."

Roberts said she overcame her 30-year struggle, however, in 24 weeks when she followed the Believing in Yourself program run by the Yellowknives Dene. She now finds a reason to wake up every morning.

Roberts said she thought the Believing In Yourself was for her, but doubted she was ready for it. Finding no better alternatives, she decided to take on the six-month program designed to help at-risk people cope with life's difficulties.

"It's hard to talk about all those tough things in your life, especially with a group of people you've never met before in your life," she said.

"The first day I walked out of class and wanted to quit. Debra followed me out and I said I couldn't do it. She told me she thought I could and I would benefit from it. For the first month I kept walking out of class."

Debra Buggins, program co-ordinator for Believing In Yourself, had reservations about Roberts in the beginning.

"I was really concerned about being able to help her," Buggins said.

"It was trying through the entire program, but at any hour when she needed help we were there for her. It's amazing to see her after six months."

Originally from Newfoundland, Roberts, 40, escaped to Yellowknife to get away from an abusive husband. As a youth she was never able to cry, it wasn't allowed she said, as was the case with boys. Roberts said she always felt unloved by her parents, constantly wondering if she had been adopted. Coming to Yellowknife in August 2006 was a chance for her to rebuild her life.

"The first little while was ok. I was working and it wasn't too bad," said Roberts.

"Then the suicide attempts came back into my life and for two years I was in and out of the hospital."

She attempted suicide twice during the early weeks of the program. After being assaulted in late January, the nightmares she was trying to leave behind came rushing back.

"It opened up a lot of old wounds for me," she said.

When she began having suicidal thoughts a third time during the program, she admitted herself to the hospital, a choice Roberts didn't make in the past.

"My life was getting better and attempting it would have got me right back to square one again," she said. "I knew my life was going to get better this time. This time I had the support I needed."

The program is geared toward providing a strong, around-the-clock support system. Roberts was able to contact Buggins or any other staff whenever she needed to, something she didn't have with counselling.

"With a counsellor you get your one hour a week and if anything comes up, well too bad, you've got to wait for your next appointment," she said. "It didn't matter what came up in the group, family problems or whatever. The door was always open."

Buggins developed the project three years ago with a friend. At the time she didn't have an organization behind the program to back it up, so it sat on the shelf collecting dust. The idea eventually took flight when she brought it to the attention of the Yellowknives Dene.

Even though it is open to everyone, the program gives first priority to Dene people. Buggins said the group therapy concept wasn't in the original plans, and arose during the early days of the program.

At first adamantly opposed to group therapy, Roberts found herself opening up more in the informal setting.

"I never used to be emotional," she said. "With this program I was able to find those emotions and let them out."

Roberts was one of 15 students to graduate from the program late last month. In the third week of the program she was asked to recite one of her poems in front of the class and she remembered how much she shook when she had to do it. Five months later, she stood in front of her classmates and ceremony attendees and delivered a speech, one of the goals she set out in the beginning of the program.

"I never thought I would come this far," she said. "I didn't think I was going to make it past the age of 26 with all the suicide attempts and the depression. I said if I was able to finish this program it would be a success."

Roberts is a passionate writer. Since she was young she was always putting her thoughts and emotions down on paper. She admits they weren't the most positive words. Years ago she burned all her writing, including a 400-page book she had written about her life because she feared her husband would read it. Years later, Roberts continues to write:

When things look darkest, it's never the end,

When you are lonely, please talk to a friend,

Don't be ashamed of the things you have done,

'Cause darkness will give way to the bright morning sun.