What Does It Mean to Feel Validated?
Validation is the acknowledgment of someone’s essence, experience, and perspective. It’s not merely listening—it’s taking notice of another person’s heart. Many of us have never truly experienced that kind of acknowledgment, nor have we learned how to offer it to others.
About AFFIRM Ministries
AFFIRM Ministries is a Bible-centered ministry devoted to coming alongside local churches and supporting individuals on their healing journey. Our mission is to help people encounter God in a deeply personal way—discovering spiritual restoration, renewed identity, and the life-changing power of true validation in Christ.
We champion the sacred practice of acknowledgment through THE NOTICE Podcast, one-on-one mentoring, speaking engagements, books, support groups, and transformative workshops. Each expression of our ministry is designed to help people feel seen, heard, and known by God.
Our areas of focus include:
- Prodigal parenting
- Healing from sexual betrayal and sexual abuse
- Breaking cycles of co-dependency
- Conflict resolution and healthy apology practices
- Support and encouragement for creatives
- Validation coaching and spiritual affirmation
Through these efforts, we create spaces where hope is restored, faith is strengthened, and people rediscover the beauty of being fully known and fully loved by God.
Mission
To provide mentoring, workshops, podcasts, and events that offer spiritual healing through deeper connection with God and a clearer understanding of validation needs.
Values
Safety – We provide a natural, therapeutic atmosphere that encourages exploration and honest disclosure.
Authenticity – We cultivate sincere, transparent relationships built on vulnerability and depth, not surface conversation.
Relevance – We design workshops around real, vulnerable topics in smaller settings to foster intimacy and personal connection.
Growth – We model and celebrate spiritual growth as a vital part of the sanctification journey.
Community – We create opportunities for belonging through shared experiences, fellowship, and encouragement.
Meet the Founder
At the heart of AFFIRM Ministries is founder Susan Hoekstra, a woman whose life and calling have been shaped by compassion, creativity, and a deep trust in God’s mercy. For more than 20 years, Susan has walked alongside individuals navigating betrayal, abuse, fatherlessness, prodigal parenting, and the unique challenges of the creative life. Her work is grounded in the principles of her book, A FIRM GRASP – Feeling Validated in a Notice-Me World, which helps people understand their worth through God’s unfailing affirmation.
A professional classical musician, Susan’s journey shifted after a personal crisis opened the door to profound healing and spiritual insight. From that transformation grew a calling to serve others through songwriting, small groups, Bible studies, women’s retreats, writing, and lay counseling.
Her voice and message have reached many through Just Between Us magazine, Christian Devotions, PROCLAIM FM, and numerous podcasts. She also hosts THE NOTICE Podcast and God Stories LIVE, where she amplifies stories of hope and God’s presence in everyday life.
In 2022, Susan and her husband purchased Maple Ridge PLACE, a serene 14-acre property that now houses both AFFIRM Ministries and Freedom Farm Ministries. Together, these ministries offer workshops, lay counseling, praise gatherings, equine therapy, gardening, and more—creating a sacred, nurturing space where healing, growth, and connection can flourish.
