Mary Alice "Molly" Johannessen Miller
This is my mom as a girl. She passed in 1997. I miss her dearly. My kids never got to know her. She was simply the most compassionate and authentic person I have had the honor of knowing in this existence. My dear wife suggested we name our first daughter, Molly, after her. As Abraham Lincoln said of his mother, "All that I am and all that I hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." Amen. If I have done any good for you in your life you can thank her. My life is lived in part to honor her and her memory by paying forward her legacy of patient compassion. Her creative spirit, keen wit and bright intellect kept us happy and laughing and comforted in the midst of a world full of chaos and frequent despair.

Why I Pay It Forward
Some know that I tithe 10% of my professional time (not just my income) to provide pro-bono services to those who are committed to the work but just can't afford my services otherwise. I pay it forward because of what my mother went through. Sadly, she died too early and in too much pain after living a life full of excruciating pain. She had fibromyalgia, colitis, chronic migraines, and various autoimmune deficiency disorders. She had been sick since she was a little girl and it progressively got worse over the years. She was bed-ridden a large portion of my life. There were various medical treatments she could have received, but didn't. Why? Because of money. Money! My dear, sweet mother died too early, not because there weren't things that could help her, but because of money. Tragic. Sad. Angering. As I watched my mother in her pain and in her deterioration, I felt helpless and powerless. And I vowed that if I was ever in a position to help someone that I would NOT let money get in the way. That is why I donate 10% of my professional time, effort and expertise into pro-bono work. Because there are the sincere in heart who need real help, but just don't have the funds. Gratefully, I've been in a position where I have certain knowledge and abilities that can help alleviate suffering and through paying forward the goodness my mother gave to me in my life I've been able to give others goodness in theirs. 

Help Someone Else Learn to Help Themselves
However, I can only take on a small number of pro-bono clients at a time. This is where you come in: If you would like to help out those in financial need who are fully committed to doing the work and make significant changes in their lives, your contribution to The Pay It Forward Scholarship will be used to provide full-fee services to those who simply cannot afford it. There is a careful screening process to ensure that those who receive The Pay It Forward Scholarship are the type of person to take the work seriously and who are committed to achieving outcomes.

How The Pay It Forward Scholarship Works
I will continue to donate my own pro-bono time. All funds go directly to cover session costs beyond what I'm not able to do pro-bono and for clients who can't pay on their own. Your donation covers the cost of my work for someone who is deserving and will work hard, but legitimately cannot afford it themselves. 

This is not charity, though. Scholarship recipients understand that they will pay for the work they receive by "paying it forward" in a meaningful way that stretches them and does great good for another. This is how they pay for the pro-bono work I provide for them and how they pay you back. This is important for the following reasons:

1. They don't have to feel they are getting pity/charity work.
2. Because they are paying for services by paying it forward they can feel that they have equal right to require the same level of service my full-fee clients receive. This matters because often people who receive charity have some (misplaced) guilt where they feel they don't have a right to request or require the same attention because they aren't paying for it themselves.
3. This allows for dignity and self-respect be maintained.

This is a way you can pay it forward for what someone else has done for you.

Consider your donation a "Three-Fer" win for all:

1. You get to pay forward something great that someone did for you;
2. The recipient gets much needed help you that you made possible that they otherwise would not be able to obtain;
3. Someone else beyond your and my reach gets much good done in their life because of the requirement for the recipient to pay it forward to another.

SOME PRIOR DONORS, THEIR DONATIONS AND IMPACTS INCLUDE:

• Anonymous Donor, paid $1,800.00 for 12 $150.00 sessions, for a single client doing the "Attract the Best" work to overcome deeply rooted self-defeating behaviors, mindsets and beliefs that repeatedly sabotaged relationship success. Outcome: A happily married young couple with a strong start based on a solid foundation.
• George and Char Miller, anonymous amounts, 
• Anonymous woman, paid for a woman's treatment to help her with her marriage, parenting, depression and eating disorder. This woman happily made great improvements and to this day doesn't know who her benefactor is, but is as she says, is "deeply touched that someone would do this for me. I am eternally grateful." [cerm]
• [bru.at]  
• An anonymous husband and wife paid for the mental health and relationship treatment of a young couple they knew that really needed the help but couldn't afford it on their own. Their amount was unconditional, just so long as it was needed they funded treatment. [kudt]
• Clergy and church-goers. Many, many clergy have used sacred funds that were donated by church-goers for the express purpose of helping those in need. These people gave not knowing how, when or where it would be used. They just gave to help someone somehow, no strings attached. Their funds, through their clergy member (who take no portion for themselves) use these funds to help the poor and needy pay for food, clothing, shelter, medical and healthcare needs (the category the work I do fits in), and much more. 
• Another anonymous woman, anonymous amounts, paid for the full treatment needs of three different people with the allowwance that they can get as much help as they need until their goals are reached. She gave no other limitation than that. [sch.c.s.a]. The three people she helped:
  • This young man received help for a pornography addiction he's struggled with most of his life that has caused his depression, anxiety and marital strife. He has made great progress. 
  • Young woman who had found new love after spouse abuse who had to learn how to overcome PTSD and have her and her spouse have a healthy, vibrant relationship.
  • A young mother and wife deal with depression and anxiety.