Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dr. Christina Hibbert. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Dr. Christina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?
My career as a psychologist, author and speaker has grown out of the many challenges I’ve had in my personal life.
I decided to pursue a career in psychology as an 18 year old, shortly after my youngest sister, McLean, had died of stage four kidney cancer. She was my hero. She was diagnosed at age 6, endured many surgeries and chemotherapy treatments, and died just after her 8th birthday. I felt this intense understanding that most of my 18 year-old peers just didn’t yet know–about life and death, about loss and grief, and about the potential for healing beyond. It made me want to help others through similar challenges. So I changed my major to psychology, and later went on to earn my doctoral degree in clinical psychology.
Even my doctoral education & experience was impacted by my life challenges. When I started graduate school I was married with two young children, ages 3 and 4 months. I’d suffered from postpartum depression with both childbirth experiences, and it drove me to want to better understand, learn to treat, and help/support other mothers and families. I wrote my dissertation on “Postpartum Couples” and even produced an educational video of the same name that I later sold internationally.
After graduation, I became an expert in the field of Maternal Mental Health, and even started a 501(c)3 non-profit, The Arizona Postpartum Wellness Coalition. I created resources, offered education, and provided support for AZ moms, families, and healthcare providers, and was able to speak and teach often in my role as founder/president over the next 10 years.
Fast forward to 2007, and just before I was about to give birth to what would have been our 4th baby, my sister died of an overdose, later ruled a suicide, just two months after her husband had died of melanoma. We inherited their two sons, I gave birth, and we went from 3 to 6 kids practically overnight. This unbelievable experience is what I wrote and published my first book, “This is How We Grow,” about. It became an Amazon #1 bestseller, and even won an Independent Publisher’s Book Award.
Most recently, in 2019 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and the BRCA1 genetic mutation. The past 5 years have been filled with continual treatment and complications–chemotherapy, 15 surgeries, and now chronic illnesses. This drove me to start a support group for breast cancer survivors, and to begin to use my writing, speaking, and social media platforms to raise awareness of the mental-emotional and trauma aspects of breast cancer and chronic illness. Though I’ve had to put my private practice of 15 years on hold during this time, I’ve also grown in ways that are leading me to whatever my next career opportunities will be, including (hopefully) a TedTalk, writing and publishing my 4th book, “Breast Cancer Warrior,” and perhaps even transitioning from private practice to being a university professor.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
For those who don’t know me, I’m Dr. Christina Hibbert, a clinical psychologist, bestselling author, speaker, breast cancer warrior, and thought leader/influencer in the areas of women’s and maternal mental health, grief/loss/trauma, self-worth, personal growth, and health psychology/breast cancer. Through cancer, death, loss, and more life challenges than I can name, I have grown my private practice, award-winning website and blog, and educational/motivational speaking and writing careers. Each new challenge has offered me an opportunity to “choose to grow.” As I often say, “If you have to go through it, you might as well grow through it.” I believe this, even though I know as well as anyone how challenging it can be. I help clients through individual therapy, coaching, support groups, online & in person courses, books and writing, teaching and training, speaking, and I also constantly strive to be the example of living the things I teach. I’m most proud of my ability to show up, raw and real, no matter what circumstances my body, mind, or life are in. Sharing the authentic journey has become my trademark quality, and I love how doing so brings others together in a shared experience to know that truly, “You are not alone.”
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
One quality I’ve exhibited throughout my life is resilience, and especially the past 5 years, since I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019. I have had to undergo chemotherapy, cold-capping to save my hair, a double mastectomy, hysterectomy, breast reconstruction with countless complications, infections, and life-threatening issues, hospital stays, intense medication treatments, 15 total surgeries, a completely scarred and rearranged body, and continuing medical care for the chronic issues caused by all this treatment. I’ve experienced more medical trauma than I thought possible. AND I’ve shown up time and again to face that trauma, grief, anxiety, and fear, through doing my own therapy work, through ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, and by working through these huge issues using writing, art, music, songwriting, and sharing ever step of my journey on social media. I’ve been able to create a community of fellow resilient survivors and warriors, offer education and support, and provide a safe space through support groups and individual treatment/support opportunities. All of these resilience-building experiences have made me better and better at what I do and how I can show up for not only myself but others.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Mental health providers are in a unique position, because it’s not just our education and training that make us good at what we do. It’s our life experiences and how we choose to deal with, heal from, and integrate these into who we are becoming and how we work with others. I call this my “Doctor of Life” degree–a second doctoral program in which I seem to be continuously enrolled. It’s a “degree” I feel honored to have been willing and able to receive through my darkest times. These are the experiences and training that make me not only a good mental health provider, writer, teacher, and speaker; these are the experiences that make me great at what I do. The understanding, connection, and compassion I have gained from these trials are invaluable to me. I believe those of us who’ve had to undergo so much adversity–if we use it and learn from it and allow it to grow us–will gain the advantage in comprehending, supporting, and helping others heal.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.DrChristinaHibbert.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drchristinahibbert
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrCHibbert
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drchibbert/
- Twitter: https://www.x.com/DrCHibbert
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/drchristinahibbert
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/drchristinahibbert