Every once in a while, something happens that really matters. Something that will define at least the next chapter of your journey – perhaps it’s a conversation with a client, a meeting with a visionary or a major event in your personal life. Below, you’ll find some very insightful folks sharing defining moments from their journeys.

Michelle Pozon

I’ve had a few: 1/When I was 11, I came to understand that I wasn’t beautiful or smart enough because I was too skinny, with dark skin and wild hair. I understood that I could never be a cheerleader or be popular. During the week leading to try-outs, I watched other contestants from the bathroom window during practice and trained on my own, in hiding. I didn’t dare to join the group for fear of rejection. Read more>>

Michael Weinstein

One of my defining moments was working at one of Dallas’s top restaurants, Mediterraneo, as a line cook and then getting promoted to Sous Chef. At that moment, I truly felt that I was on the correct path in my chosen career. Read more>>

Catherine Matiasevich

My name is Catherine. I knew in 3rd grade that I wanted to be a nurse. I remember sitting at a neighborhood friend’s kitchen table having dinner. Her mother was a nurse practitioner. If anyone got hurt, we called Brenda. She checked all of our bumps and bruises, scrapes and scratches. We were safe with Brenda. I wanted people to be safe with me. To come to me for help. To be able to take care of my kids, if anything were to arise. Read more>>

Taylor Dyson Elam-Ray

Defining moment, This topic stood out to me due to my journey to becoming Dr. Taylor School was something that seemingly came easy to me through my masters level studies. Applying to the doctorate program was different for me. This was not apart of my initial plan. Simply doing what was necessary to be a therapist was my initial goal. Read more>>

Hannah Stinson

A defining moment in my life was when I was diagnosed with liver disease in 2019. This diagnosis came 2 months after I decided to stop drinking alcohol, a decision that was a catalyst in my healing journey as I was a functioning alcoholic for over 10 years. Being faced with a life long disease that affected such a vital organ of my body only made me more dedicated to my journey of sobriety, despite how difficult it was to grieve a lifestyle that I had used to protect myself for so long. Read more>>

Melodie Polansky

What I feel like happened, was that the first time I just gave up, I didn’t have the tools and I didn’t have the desire to learn more. The second time was still hard, but I had learned more and even though I was still struggling, I persisted and broke the uncomfortable barrier of fear. My business became stable for the first time, and I was able to breathe a little financially. Working for all of the different types of businesses has given me a well rounded perspective about how I want to treat people, and the experiences that they deserve. Read more>>

Andrea Somer

I think we go through life with multiple defining moments, small and big. Sometimes we might not even see them as defining at the time, but it will become clear later on how that moment truly changed our life. However, the most defining moment in my life was when I lost my father to his addiction and mental illness 5 years ago. Read more>>

Amanda Baudier

In 2012, I was seemingly thriving — personally and professionally. At 28, I had recently become a partner at Tao Group and gotten engaged. I was planning events for celebrities at the hottest venues in NYC and had even gotten a yoga teaching certification on the side. Read more>>

Irene Vaksberg

Car accident Read more>>

Marcia Blane

As I think about defining moments in my life, I can narrow it down to a few instances. My mother gave birth to me under the distress of domestic violence and I entered the world with fight and resilience. A second defining moment was during my senior year of high school when my Guidance Counselor told me “I don’t think you have what it takes to go to college” and that challenged me to push hard and to go further than she imagined. Read more>>

Chris Hitchman

All my life, I have felt that every obstacle has lead me to be in a certain position. In 2020, the Monday after Father’s Day; is a day that I will never forget. My family had received the news that my aunt passed away. Since I could remember Diabetes has always been in my family. My grandmother had it, my mom lives with it, and my aunt was also a diabetic. Read more>>

Michelle V. Boodoo

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night, shocked, confused, and terrified, feeling that you just lost one of the most precious people in your life? As your body and mind return to reality, you quickly realize it was just a horrible dream. April 14th, 2022 was my defining moment because it was not a dream for me. My loss was the sweetest, caring, loving person I have ever known, my 25-year-old stepdaughter. Her name was Kathy, and she died by suicide. Read more>>

Dianne Mattina

Earths Water was created to heal the water. Knowing that if we can take gratitude to elements of the earth we could in turn have a greater understanding to be able to speak differently to ourselves and heal. After having a conversation with our healing community of friends we wanted to create a give back to our community and chose to gather to heal the water. We picked a day to gather to heal the water by setting an intension of healing for it and giving it gratitude. Read more>>

Ramika Toms

As I was working with youth girls at the time and supporting their needs, I realized if my life is not where I want it to be, how can I help others? So, I started researching the connection of mental and emotional health and how the outcomes of not being in a good emotional space shows up physically in the human body. That led me to going to therapy. Through going to therapy, I started to have breakthroughs, but that also came with something else. Read more>>

Kathy Phipps

Divorce was the defining moment in my Life and the realization that it was an epic failure and that it was indicative to how I viewed myself in which after time started me on my journey of self-rediscovery and peace with letting go! Read more>>

Joslyn Gebby

A career a nurse in the emergency room is very stressful, but also rewarding. I learn something new everyday. The emergency room is a busy place full of urgency. I’m exhausted by the end of the shift, but I’m thankful when I was able to help someone and their family during these scary moments. We only have one life and our health is not to be taken for granted. Read more>>

Kimberly Farris

A defining moment for me was getting to a place in life where I questioned whether I am moving with purpose. I have excelled in my field as a Health Scientist, but I am still not quite fulfilled. Prior to the pandemic, I’d identified a yoga studio where I wanted to start my yoga teacher training. Unfortunately, the studio closed and I started the process all over again of finding a studio and training program. Read more>>

Linda Ciampoli, CST-T

A defining moment in understanding the significant effect of craniosacral therapy on my outlook happened about ten years ago. It helped to deepen my practice. We’d just moved to Boulder and there was a knock at our door. A neighbor was holding a printed card. She introduced herself, “Hi, welcome to the neighborhood!” The card read, “Free psychic reading”. I took it and thanked her and introduced myself. We chatted for a moment and I said, “Thanks, I’ll think of it.” Read more>>

Jana Giliberto

I have been a Licensed Mental Health Counselor since 2011, working the bulk of my career in correctional settings including a state prison, juvenile programs, and county jails. In late 2019, I received an email from a local counseling group looking for independent contractors to join the team. It felt like it was meant to be. I was burned out on working in corrections and had been entertaining the idea of private practice and the freedom for individuality it brought with it. Read more>>

Brittany Schroeder

August 3, 2022 I opened my doors and began seeing Clients in my private clinical psychotherapy practice. I was awash with emotion when I opened my door that day, I BURST into tears of JOY and only moments later, tears of sadness. For the fist time in my life, everything I had survived, endured, learned, triumphed, and failed finally made sense. I had ARRIVED! I saw my dreams right before my eyes and I could not believe it. Read more>>

Tosha Daniels

I’ve been using exercise as a way to fuel good mental health and overall wellness of my spirit soul and body. After suffering with PPD after the birth of two children (9yrs apart) I noticed how I always felt better and more in tune after I worked out. I felt lighter, confident, productive, strong and capable! My fitness journey saved my life and it has also giving me the opportunity to help other women! I truly love being an advocate for better health! Read more>>

Kenosha Gleaton

A Defining moment: “If you have to ask that question, you’re not cut out to be a doctor” It was the summer after college graduation, and I desperately needed more volunteer hours. As a first-generation college grad, I was forced to hit the pavement in search of these opportunities. I was thrilled to land a spot at Bon Secours Roper Saint Francis Hospital, which represented a dual win for me — a healthcare system that intertwined faith with medicine. Read more>>

Chloe Puff

I’ve been trying to think about my true “defining moment,” but I think the moment was more like a season. My full story would take hours to unpack, but here’s the simplest explanation. When I had my daughter in 2016 I was struggling with diastasis recti, pelvic floor dysfunction, severe postpartum depression, and I had completely lost myself. Read more>>

Samantha Sumpter

Being a personal trainer is so rewarding. I get to assist my clients with their wellness goals, reignite their confidence while encouraging them to be their best self. I enjoy when they share non-scale victories and testimonials during their journey. However, being fairly new in the industry, I sometimes am faced with imposter syndrome. My clients always seem to know when and what to say when I need it the most. Read more>>

D. Rica Wilson

in 2014, I suddenly became disabled and lost my ability to walk. My life literary changed overnight. I had a newborn baby, and I was unable to lift my new son on my hips and take him to the park. His brothers enjoyed this luxury, but he would be excluded from hip rides due to circumstances beyond my control. What started as a few broken bones morphed into my new way of life. Read more>>

Marie Moreau

In going to massage school they prepare you to be the best employee you can be. Just go and work for a spa. They give you tips and tricks to stand out from the crowd and help you create your resume. They host hiring fairs and post job ads and send out email blasts. But they don’t give you any guidance on working for yourself. Read more>>

 Tami Hayes

Moving to Ohio I met a lot of people throughout the years. One person that constantly stays with me is my dear departed friend William who was homeless. Being a musician I played for a lot of venues and am in call for 7 funeral homes throughout the DMV. My friendship with William spanned over many years and sometimes I would lose him for months and sometimes a few years but he would always resurface. Then one day he didn’t resurface. Read more>>

LaTanya Sherman

Understanding the alarming rates of homelessness in Los Angeles County and that African Americans are the highest in that demographic. They make up approximately 9% of the general population but represent almost 40% of its homeless population. Our FED (Fitness Education Diet) was designed specifically for the homeless community to address Wellness and now has an annual Health , Wellness & Resource Fair that takes place annually in the heart of Skid Row, which is also the nation’s largest homeless community. Read more>>

Nina Savelle-Rocklin

I was a brand-new therapist and I was about to start my very first group for women with binge eating disorder. I opened the door and one of the women–bright red hair, in her 50s, a little scary–she looked me up and down and says… “You’re the therapist? Seriously?” I tried to figure out the problem: Was she expecting someone older, with more experience? Was it totally obvious that this was my first group? And then she said, “So, what does a skinny bitch like you know about bingeing?” Read more>>

Meridith Antonucci

A defining moment in my life – and ultimately career – happened gradually over the course of a few months. In college, I sought out psychotherapy for both depressive symptoms and for support managing life stressors and started to become aware that practicing yoga and meditation allowed me to actually feel and embody the work I was doing with my traditionally trained talk therapist. I would learn concepts cognitively in therapy and then later I would feel and integrate them somatically in yoga. Read more>>

Laura Watson

I had been casually coaching women through their fertility treatment and IVF experiences for a few years. I would help them navigate the tricky medications and instructions, share my own experiences and how I managed the process, and most importantly, listen. It was very refreshing for these women to feel heard by someone who really understood what they were going through. Read more>>

Abiel Tsegai

My family and I immigrated from Eritrea, East Africa in 1995. I came to the United States with my family at the age of 9 years old. My experience growing up in Eritrea was both a pleasant one– filled with the love of my family–and yet full of hardships due to poverty and a brutal war with Ethiopia’s Communist government. To give you some idea of these struggles: my mother would barely have enough money to buy her children a few oranges in order to keep us healthy. Read more>>

Ayanna “Nae” Jones

The most defining moment in my life is when I decided to take back my power and choosing to forgive those whom I felt mistreated me. Back in 2018, I made a conscious decision to confront everything I felt was a hindrance to me reaching my greatest potential. Not only did I confront my offenders, but I confronted myself in regard to the way I would think and/or perceive situations. After confronting my triggers and my childhood trauma, I began to see this life is truly what we make it. Read more>>

Andrea Withers

I have two defining moments in my life in regards to my present profession as a certified clinical EFT practitioner. Like many people, in 2007, I had never heard of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). It was actually April of 2007 when I was loaned a book and first stumbled upon Thought Field Therapy (TFT), the original tapping method discovered (by accident) and then developed in the eighties by Dr. Roger Callahan, an American Psychologist. Read more>>