This week’s interview feature a woman who not only juggles motherhood but advocates for spirituality and mental health through her recently published book, From the Inside Out. Discussing how essentially “therapists aren’t perfect”, Jacqueline hopes to humanize therapists and emphasize how important mental health is for all.
BIO: Jacqueline Rech is a licensed professional counselor and work-from-home-mother from Pittsburgh, PA. She is passionate about the stories we keep, and feels strongly that there is healing in their telling. When she isn’t working on a writing project, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, snowboarding, and leisurely strolls with ice cream in hand. She is also the principal author on From the Inside Out: Therapists’ Confessions of Courage, Strength, and Hope. You can find her website at www.TherapistsConfessions.com
What do you see when you look in the mirror?
I see a mom who loves her children fiercely but also needs a place to hide her introverted self five minutes a day. I see a woman who has been through much adversity but is a survivor, and overcomer. I see beauty in the midst of all the struggle, the sleepless nights, and the backbreaking work of motherhood. I see resiliency, and strength.
What do you do for a living?
I do not have traditional means of employment by society standards, but what I do to increase my ability to enjoy the life I’ve been blessed with is to care for my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. And in turn, I can care for my family and home, and invest in life giving relationships with friends, family, and our community. I have supplemented our household income in the past with photography, freelance writing, and taking in clients in private practice as a licensed professional counselor. Most recently I have offered out contracts to 10 other authors to collaborate on my first book baby, From the Inside Out: Therapists’ Confessions of Courage, Strength, and Hope.
How do you think self-love plays a role in success?
I’m going to be the radical one here and say that first I need to understand and constantly remember just how much I am loved by God. And to walk in that knowledge each and every day. I have to care for and love the body and life that He has made and gifted me with. And have faith that all my life experiences can be used for my own good, as well as the good of others. My life, and my experiences have been used to care for and walk alongside people who have deep hurts. I define personal success as having peace with myself, peace with those around me, peace with my past mistakes and experiences, and peace with God. Loving myself is a good place to start.
How do you think we, as women, can work together to lift each-other?
I think that first, women need to recognize and own the God given talents, interests, and abilities they possess. Then, after investing in mastering one or two of these skills, come together to teach other women, so that a beautiful ripple effect can occur where women are being continuously lifted. Continuously learning from one another, and able to invest in others.
Have you had any adversities that you’ve had to overcome in order to achieve success?
I have faced many adversities and emotionally difficult times that have required hard therapeutic work, humility, honesty, and willingness to examine oneself. This kind of work requires mental self-control — by not allowing myself to go down the rabbit hole of negativity, pessimism, unforgiveness, and bitterness. I have had to focus more on the people who love and lift me, and hope for the future so that I can be free to create ways to achieve personal success.
What has been your greatest accomplishment to date?
My greatest accomplishment has been gaining the ability to forgive those who have hurt me. Do you know how difficult of an undertaking that is? To truly forgive? Some NEVER achieve this. Having peace in my heart and mind have directly attributed to the success of other accomplishments, like giving birth to my children, or writing a book, or working to earn multiple degrees in the midst of trauma and adversity. \
What inspires you to keep growing?
As long as I’m breathing, I have faith that God can use me to love and encourage the people I come in contact to. I want to inspire people to not give up on life. That is what keeps me pushing myself and growing and creating ways to do that.
