Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Lucille.
Hi Rebecca, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I actually started out as a registered nurse and learned a lot about life in that capacity. Thinking about young me, I had a certain idea of what nurses, physicians, and other clinicians were about. For anyone out there that is old enough, remember Michael Landon? I thought health care providers would be a bit like Michael Landon with scrubs on. However, my experience taught me that providers run the gamut when it came to capability, compassion, and connection. I did meet some truly skilled providers. I think when any of us meet those people who take us in, those who listen, these are interactions that are meaningful. They were meaningful to me and I remember them to this day.
Fast forward past my nursing career to when I entered my master’s program. I currently work primarily as a psychotherapist which is a little unusual in this state for someone with a nursing background. My master’s program, although it was in the nursing department, heavily emphasized psychotherapy. Two years of school focused on the process of psychotherapy and then another two years doing psychotherapy with close supervision. Many people associate Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) with medication but you don’t have to go that route. I did some medication management and I do still do a small amount but my brain seems better suited to the process of psychotherapy.
My first work experience doing psychotherapy was through Valley Mental Health. Generally I met with the more severe clients in that capacity. I look back and I really wish I would have had more hand holding. It seemed more like they threw me into the deep end upon arrival. It’s been a long time so perhaps my memory is flawed. It sure felt like I was thrown into the deep end. I still remember mistakes I made.
About 17 years ago I decided to leave Valley Mental Health and tackle private practice. I was able to leave Valley Mental Health and start up a private practice with two psychologists . By some good stroke of fortune I was with these two amazingly ethical and compassionate women for more than a decade, and closer to two decades. One of them I still work with. That was pure luck. Having two people I could count on, and talk through challenging clients, and challenging situations, was invaluable. Especially with all the instability in the world bubbling up over that period of time.
I continue to work and learn. I do actually mean that. I do learn something new about myself or about the therapeutic process every day. There is no ceiling to this kind of learning.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road for me. I had a great deal to learn. What I’m about to say may sound very obvious in my line of work but I’ll say it anyway. I have found that I make mistakes, I then pay attention and make note of when I make a mistake. When relating with another person this kind of information is subtle. Paying attention to those inner sensations and paying attention to the person in front of me, it’s the art of showing up 100% for that moment. I spend a lot of time alone and that allows my brain to sort through what seemed on the mark in sessions and what felt a little off. Those are learning moments that can easily slip by. Going through this process over and over again has taught me that this sort of work is humbling in the most positive way.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I work with people who experience depression and anxiety. About one third of the people I see have some type of neurodivergence going on with their anxiety and depression. I am known for old fashioned psychotherapy with a focus on sincerity and truth. It’s not that I am moralistic, it’s just that there can’t be any progress in therapy if there isn’t truth in the room. If there is a lack of truth then there isn’t anything to work with. If someone can have the courage to show up, talk about what is really going on inside of themselves, this is a big deal. It’s real stuff and these people are capable of doing good work in therapy.
What I am most proud of is, remember how I mentioned that I had a lot to learn when I began? Part of what I learned over time was how to be sincere, how to tell the truth all the time, and what deep care looks like. This was hard won for me. I did have certain life experiences that helped me along the way and I had the benefit of having the most honest and deeply sincere teachers. These skills are worth having and they can’t be taken from me.
As far as what people say about me? How does one know? My son told me once that I was his hero. This may not sound like much but he was about 14 years old at the time and for anyone who has raised a child through teenage years, that is high praise. On a more serious note, I had someone tell me that I am one of the most gentle people she has ever known.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Slow down, be aware, have the eyes to see what is true, and whatever you say, say it from the truest place inside of you.
Pricing:
- $175/50 minute session
Contact Info:
