We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kayla Abeid. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kayla below.
Hi Kayla, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the best advice you’ve ever given to a client? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)
In the realm of emotional medicine practices and self-healing, there is a profound understanding that trauma is not solely confined to words or memories, but is deeply imprinted within our very being. Over the years working with women and children in a wellness setting, it has been a gift to bear witness to the stories and evidence of the shocks, conflicts and/or traumas in the psyche that precede the onset of the physiological symptoms that facilitate healing. My advice to all of my clients, drawing inspiration from the words of Van Der Kolk and Fisler (1995) who stated, “We remember trauma less in words and more with our feeling and our bodies,” we embark on a journey that delves into the realms of the transformative power of the mind-body connection in restoring health and healing trauma.
It is not only important to assess the physiological approach to wholesome wellness, but it is imperative for those who seek healing to dive into the inner workings of their psyche, brain, and physiology as they are all intimately and intricately connected and doing the exact job they were created to do.
Dr. Ryke Geerd Hamer, commonly known as Dr. Hamer, was a German physician who developed a controversial approach to understanding the relationship between emotional experiences, the psyche, and the manifestation of physical symptoms or diseases in the body. He named his approach German New Medicine (GNM). Dr. Hamer’s theories emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s following a personal tragedy. He claimed that his son’s unexpected death was directly linked to a shocking diagnosis that occurred in his own life shortly after. This experience led him to question the conventional medical understanding of disease and prompted his exploration into the mind-body connection. Another pioneer in the emotional medicine field is Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, a renowned psychiatrist, researcher, and author who has dedicated his career to studying and treating the effects of trauma on the human body and mind. His book “The Body Keeps the Score’, published in 2014, has become a seminal work in the field of trauma. It synthesizes Dr. van der Kolk’s decades of research and clinical experience, offering a comprehensive exploration of the impact of trauma on the body, brain, and emotions, as well as providing insights into effective therapeutic approaches for healing and recovery. One notable quote from the book that I share with clients often is this: “In order to change, people need to become aware of their sensations and the way that their bodies interact with the world around them. Physical self-awareness is the first step in releasing the tyranny of the past.” Additionally, these emotional impacts, traumas or conflicts don’t just impact our physiology, but that of our past, previous, current, and future generations to come. Mark Wolynn’s states in his book, “It Didn’t Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle”: “Healing is not just an individual endeavor; it is a collective journey that ripples through generations. We carry the stories of our ancestors in our cells, but we also carry the power to rewrite those stories & by unraveling our family history, we gain insights into our own patterns, struggles, and potential for growth. When we heal our wounds, we heal the generations that came before us and the ones that will follow.”
Therefore, I leave all my clients with this: to those looking to heal, from whatever pain, ailment, symptom, or dis-ease please remember– there’s always hope. If you are always searching for something “wrong” in the body, you shall always find it. But if you believe in the power, wisdom, and capacity your body holds to heal, you shall find that too.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
As a life long learner I have spent over a decade in the collegiate realm. From studying and earning a Bachelors Degree in Exercise Physiology, to a Master’s Degree in Nutrition and Human Performance and also a Doctorate Degree in Chiropractic, I have immersed myself in gaining all the knowledge and tools to help those I sought out to work with. I started off building my private practice, Love & Light Family Chiropractic, in a 500 square ft building which quickly grew to a 3600 sq ft building that now serves the Spartanburg community in several facets of holistic and wholesome healing for the entire family. From new babies to adults and everyone in between.
Over the years I have trained three chiropractic associates that have gone into successful private practices, host and educate students and interns from Sherman College of Chiropractic, grew our own personal office team, as well as a few other personal brands, hobbies, collective groups, events, and offerings. As a pediatric and prenatal chiropractor I speak and teach at continuing education seminars as well as at other various local and private wellness events educating on various topics from women health, infertility, pregnancy, pediatric care, frequency, emotional and quantum healing and family wellness. I host women’s healing circles, women’s healing retreats, as well as serve women and children all over the world with emotional and quantum healing practices virtually. I have founded and created several techniques and modalities to educate and share with my clients and audiences in these healing atmospheres. This work then organically grew into one on one work with female entrepreneurs and woman seeking deeper and more authentic self healing practices. I currently host a flagship course “The Authentic Woman” that is a mix of DIY course and one on one private mentorship guidance through your own personal and customized self healing journey. I walk with women of all walks of life to help them reconnect to themselves, their businesses, their families by reclaiming their self-worth and sensuality and transforming their shame, guilt, and people pleasing, into self-love, boundaries, and abundant peace. Having walked a very personal healing journey to get to these roles, I also partake in several creative outlets that bring my heart so much joy. These include writing children’s books, poems, and also creating chiropractic social media and office template content you can find on my Etsy site. I also host sound healing baths in Tryon, NC monthly. Last but not least I also host an international podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcast called “The Radical Woman Podcast” where you can find powerful women sharing their stories and wisdom, along with my musings and educational offerings. You can find more about all of my virtual work at drkayabeid.com. My flagship course offering at authenticwomanalchemy.com, our women’s retreats at innatewomenretreats.love and If you are a local to the Spartanburg area, our wellness collective can be found at loveandlightfamilychiropractic.com
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Creating my reputation within my market was all centered around being me. I wanted to show up as an authentic and real person. As a primary care provider, there’s so much intimidation and lack of connection with those who we should trust and be able to openly communicate and connect with. I started my business by going out and serving other businesses. Asking them how they needed help, without even telling them what I did or who my business served. I wanted to learn about them and hear their stories, their successes, their difficulties and authentically love and care for them by creating an open friendship first. I never led with this professional authority, or hid behind a facade or paraded around with the idea I had something to sell them. I was open, honest, made a real connection, and really wanted to help them succeed and join forces in serving the community. In addition to these meet and greet organic marketing connections, I got into the community and started hosting free meet ups for my target market: moms and babies. I started free women healing circles to help other local women connect and heal and meet likeminded women, as well as free breastfeeding and moms meet ups at the local coffee shop. These took off, and I organically built my practice, not by selling what I was offering, but by being a real friend, mother, and an authentic human…. always leading with love and service.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
As an office that has grown several associates from new graduate to private practice owner, in addition to our own personal office staff and team, there is so many potent lessons and much wisdom learned along the way to reflect on. First and foremost is the importance of allowing the team members to be themselves, for the most part. Sure, there are policies, procedures, even some scripting and parameters to follow… but we ensure that each of our team members create a unique way to share their authentic selves, personalities, gifts, and energies within our office. We know this is the key to our success in having a constantly changing team and ever evolving community of practice members. It is important to also note that everyone doesn’t always have to be everyone’s cup of tea. Each of our doctors culminated their own unique pool of practice members they serve that uniquely came in for them. This is a beautiful experience to witness unfold as each kiddo or family member gravitates to the staff member or doctor they feel most comfortable with, can allow their personality to shine with, and even share important and tender health information with. In terms of morale we always celebrate, whether its screaming “new member” when the phone rings or celebrating each other in a personal or professional win, and getting together regularly for team outings, game nights, and events that don’t involve any training, just connection, play and bonding.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.drkayabeid.com
- Instagram: @drkaylaabeid
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/lovelightfamilychiropractic
- Linkedin: Dr. Kayla Abeid
- Other: www.authenticwomanalchemy.com www.innatewomenretreats.love www.loveandlightfamilychiropractic.com www.chirocontentgoddess.etsy.com
Image Credits
Ashlie Moon with The Mother The Moon Photography.