Daily writing prompt

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

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Many see me as a fitness trainer or gym owner in my local community. However, my journey has been shaped by something more personal. It’s layered with complexities and growth. Before I ran a gym for a decade, my life revolved around counseling. Fitness was more of a personal outlet—a passion I enjoyed on the side while I navigated a career focused on mental health.

My journey started as an art major in college, full of creative dreams. But everything changed during my first winter break. A devastating phone call shifted my focus from art to psychology. I began diving deep into the study of depression. I was searching for answers, perhaps for myself as much as for others. I naively wanted to save the world. I earned my psychology degree from the University of Illinois. Life then took me on a whirlwind journey across 13 homes in the U.S. We moved from New York to California to Washington, D.C., following my husband’s career in corporate America.

Every new city brought different experiences, lots of grey that contrasted with the black and white world I had known. I worked in various mental health settings, from shelters for children (my favorite role) to halfway houses for addiction recovery. At one point, I even worked at Conifer Park in New York, one of the largest rehabilitation facilities in the country. My professional journey was fulfilling but I also felt very much that spiritual health (our life purpose) and physical health had a great deal to do with mental health.

My spiritual life and fitness journey had always been my anchor. A constant for regulating my emotions. It wasn’t until later that I began to truly understand how much purpose and physically working out impacted mental health. I just knew it helped me feel better. Eventually, I went back to school and earned a master’s degree in professional counseling, with a focus on Christian counseling. My thesis was about the connection between spiritual, physical, and mental health. Something I’ve become more passionate about as I’ve grown.

Life has thrown me its share of curveballs. The loss of my 12-year-old nephew was one of those moments that tore me apart. I had been on the board for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in New York. Yet, I didn’t see the signs I needed to see with my nephew. Why didn’t I see the signs? Why didn’t I do this or that? This tragic event led us back to our home state, where we left corporate America to start over. I completely left mental health at this point. With no jobs or idea of what we would be doing for work, we moved into the house my husband grew up in. We quickly launched new businesses. It was a leap of faith, but God has been with us every step of the way.

I poured my energy into building our gym, renovating our home, hoping to make my family better after loss. But eventually, I hit a wall. I was so busy that I didn’t even realize how much I was neglecting my own spiritual, physical and mental health. It took almost losing myself for me to wake up. God gave me the clarity to see that I needed to heal. I quickly closed the gym and transitioned into working alongside my husband in his Executive Search firm. This switch allowed me so much more flexibility with remote work. My stepson joined our business, and our team has brought us all closer together with meetings regularly ending in laughter and, “I love you.” It has also given me the flexibility to pursue some of my first loves.

I get to do regular training on mental health in a business environment. I now see firsthand how deep-rooted trauma shapes people’s lives. I have gotten to step into the world of trauma education—especially complex trauma, which is far more intricate and expansive than many realize. But this time, I’m doing it with a deep sense of balance. I get to spend precious time with my husband, sons, family and friends. To listen, to be present, and to nurture the relationships that matter most. I’ve even rediscovered my love for art, writing, and teaching about the powerful connection between spiritual, physical, and mental health. I have the opportunity to speak at an event in Scottsdale, Arizona in November with my husband to 50 Executive Directors from the Boards of Medicine from each state. I am very excited because I get to touch on mental health.

Many people in my community know me as the gym owner or trainer. I often get asked if I will open a gym again. However, there’s a whole world inside me that most don’t see. A whole other world that I am excited to explore. It’s this inner journey—marked by experiences of loss, faith, healing and rediscovery. My current journey brings a glow to my skin and a smile to my face. It is an exciting adventure that brings me peace and true connection. Not only to myself but to others. Every hug I give is filled with the love I have nurtured. I developed this love through my return to the path God had for me all along.