Navigating Trauma, Faith, and Rebuilding: A Personal Journey
Episode 97 of the podcast features a candid conversation between host Dawn Gabriel and guest Rebecca Gilbert, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). In this episode, they delve into Rebecca’s unique journey of managing personal trauma and faith while maintaining her private practice.
Dawn introduces Rebecca to the podcast, and Rebecca shares her gratitude for the opportunity. They engage in a warm and insightful dialogue, with Rebecca opening up about her experience as a mother, therapist, and business owner. She discusses the challenges she faced when her husband was diagnosed with a rare cancer, which abruptly disrupted her seemingly stable life.
More about Rebecca
Rebeca Gilbert believes healing happens when our bodies feel safe, seen, and connected. For the past 16 years, she has sought to create pockets of safety for her clients in various settings from court-ordered therapy in rural Mississippi, to group practices in college towns (Go Gators!) to solo private practice.
In 2019, after building her dream private practice, her husband was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer and given a 2% chance of survival. Suddenly, the beautiful life that Rebeca had worked so hard to build- being a therapist in solo practice, business owner, wife, and parent of two children under the age of 5 came crashing down. After taking a sabbatical and going back to her own therapy work, Rebeca began to rebuild her private practice with a renewed commitment to serving her clients while prioritizing family time.
Today, Rebeca lives with her husband and two elementary-aged kids in the sunshine state juggling the demands of being a mom, wife, caregiver, and dinner maker as well as being a business owner, and holding others’ pain for a living. She is honored to share the hope and the messiness of her story with anyone brave enough to listen.
Three Key Takeaways:
- Embracing Raw Authenticity: Rebecca’s journey highlights the intersection of her professional role as a therapist with her personal struggles. She describes the initial disorientation she felt when her husband’s diagnosis upended their lives. The raw authenticity she displayed during this challenging time enabled her to connect on a deeper level with her clients, fostering a more genuine therapeutic relationship.
- Embodied Faith: Rebecca shares how her faith evolved from being an intellectual construct to becoming a deeply embodied experience. Through therapy and personal growth, she learned to listen to her body as a barometer of her emotional and spiritual state. This profound alignment between mind, body, and spirit helped her recalibrate and make more authentic and meaningful connections with both her clients and her faith.
- Rebuilding with Purpose: After closing her practice temporarily due to her husband’s illness, Rebecca embarked on a journey of rebuilding and recalibrating her life and business. She discusses how this experience led her to set stronger boundaries, value her expertise, and prioritize self-care. Rebecca’s narrative exemplifies the power of resilience, faith, and community in navigating personal trauma and professional growth.
Rebecca’s story underscores the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Her journey demonstrates how authenticity, embodied faith, and intentional rebuilding can lead to transformative growth in both personal and professional spheres.
Links and Resources
- Rebeca Gilbert, MA, LPC, LMHC (MH20320)Evidence-Based, trauma-informed counseling in GA & FLEMDR Certified & Consultant in Training (CIT). Approved Clinical Supervisor Faith-Based integration available upon request
- Book Recommendation: A Severe Mercy
Podcast Production and Show Notes by Course Creation Studio