My Lived Experience & Education

I didn't just study psychology.  I lived it.

My path to this work has never been linear—because life isn’t linear. Before Hey, Becky! became a reality, it was a thread that wove through everything I’ve ever done.

I’ve sat beside people at their lowest points and walked them through the hardest parts of their lives. But the truth is, I didn’t start helping others just because I wanted to—I started because I needed to.

I earned a Bachelor's in Psychology with a minor in Sociology, a Master’s in Psychology, and an MBA—not for prestige or titles, but in search of answers. I was trying to understand the pain I carried from childhood shaped by neglect, emotional abuse, abandonment, and parentification. I was raised by an emotionally immature, narcissistic, alcoholic mother, and from a young age, I was the caregiver—forced to become wise beyond my years without anyone guiding me. Pursuing more and more education became both a lifeline and a coping mechanism. Pursuing multiple degrees was, in part, a trauma response: a form of fawning, people-pleasing, and striving to earn worth in a world that told me I didn’t have any.

In pursuit of higher education, I found myself trapped in predatory student loans. An all-too-common consequence of trying to better yourself while navigating systemic and emotional survival. But I also found the meaning behind the struggles.

Pursuing a deep, and psychological education and a career in therapy and healthcare have, in combination, helped me to make sense of myself and the world around me. It gave me the tools. It gave me the language.

It gave me the foundation for what I offer now: real-world, trauma-informed support for people who are trying to make sense of their own chaos.

I’ve had a variety of careers working in clinical and therapeutic roles and I know what burnout feels like. I know what it’s like to be the one everyone leans on. And I know what it feels like to finally say: enough.

All of that—my personal history, academic foundation, and professional path—has led me here, to Hey, Becky!

This isn’t just a job for me. It’s a calling. My lived experiences are a vital part of my credentials. I know now that what I needed at the time is exactly what I can offer today to others.