About Us — Honor the Struggle

Every Cross Is Different

I once worked at an addiction recovery center. In the front office, there was a wall covered in dozens of small wooden crosses, no two alike. Some were smooth, some rough. Some tall and narrow, others short and wide. Different wood, different grain, different signs of wear.

I found myself standing in front of that wall more than once, just looking. Every person walking through those doors was working on their own recovery, and it struck me that even when two people shared the same word for what they were fighting, they weren't carrying the same thing. Their stories, their histories, their reasons, all different, all their own.

That wall is part of why Honor the Struggle refuses to treat pain as one-size-fits-all. Every burden has its own shape and its own grain. Seeing someone well means seeing their struggle as theirs, not as a stand-in for a struggle we think we already understand.

What We Believe

Honor the Struggle exists because so much pain goes unseen. We help people move their hidden struggles into the light, be witnessed, and find the connection that healing requires.

Everything we build, from the app to the small groups to the book, comes back to a few convictions.

Suffering doesn't have to be visible to be real.

Pain that isn't seen still counts. We don't ask people to prove they're struggling before we take it seriously.

You don't need a license to witness someone's pain.

Ordinary people, not just therapists and counselors, can make a real difference just by seeing someone and staying.

Being witnessed is where healing starts.

Hidden pain becomes witnessed pain, and witnessed pain becomes the ground healing can grow from. That's the whole arc of what we do.

Our Mission

Honor the Struggle exists to reduce the isolation of hidden pain by inviting people to witness the struggles of those around them instead of looking away.

We do this by creating and freely sharing educational and inspirational resources, including a parable and companion workbook grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), along with tools counselors and mental health professionals can use with those carrying hidden or unwitnessed pain. Each week, we put out a simple call to action encouraging people to reach out to someone who may be struggling. Looking ahead, we're building toward small group meetings, shared experiences, and one-on-one connection opportunities, so that suffering is witnessed rather than carried alone.

Meet the Team

Tom Tenney

Founder & Executive Director

Tom founded Honor the Struggle after a series of moments that showed him how much pain goes unwitnessed. He holds an MBA and a BA in Psychology, Magna Cum Laude, and previously served as a therapeutic foster parent.

Thara Tenney

Director of Communications

Thara holds a Master of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Science in Communication, and has spent her career as an educator, author, and civic advocate strengthening constitutional literacy and community leadership. She brings that same commitment to empowering individuals and building compassionate community to Honor the Struggle.

Robin Martherus

Technical Advisory Board Member

Robin brings 30+ years of turning ideas into industry-changing technology, holding patents with companies like Apple, Oracle, and Cisco, and co-founding five startups that were acquired or went public. He advises Honor the Struggle on the technical strategy behind the Carried app.

Why we honor the struggle