About
“The core of our personal power lies in self-knowledge and self-defining; when we know what we think and feel, we can take responsibility for our lives, we can be open and accepting of life, we can make respectful, loving choices for ourselves, living each day fully. We can be well.”
- from Living in Process by Anne Wilson Schaef
NICE TO MEET YOU
I'm Maggie
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I had always struggled with feeling good about myself, even as a child. I saw my first therapist in college, after a period of deep depression and anxiety. But it was during grad school, when I developed panic attacks so severe that I almost had to drop out, that things got dire. But instead of quitting grad school, I went on a quest to learn everything I could about how to heal myself.
Now I'm here to share everything I've learned from 20+ years as a licensed therapist, certified coach, and homemade self-healer. I’ll show you how to have less drama, more peace, and a life of inner security, joy & purpose.
My Story
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I've always been an ambitious person with multiple passions. Today I'm a licensed psychotherapist and certified coach with a full private practice; I'm also a professional actress and musician with experience performing all over North America, from the Pasadena Playhouse to the Kennedy Center.
I'm also someone who always struggled emotionally, especially in my early years.Â
In college I saw my first therapist during a period of deep depression & anxiety, and over the next decade I would return to therapy periodically when things would get bad again -- which they always did.
It wasn't until I was in grad school to become a therapist, that things started to really shift. I went through a period of daily panic attacks that were so bad I thought I'd have to drop out of school. Instead, my therapist (who ironically couldn't really help me) referred me to a chiropractor who practiced a different kind of healing. Something that went deeper than the conscious mind. Something that addressed my early childhood trauma, which was the hidden cause of my panic. Within two sessions my panic attacks ceased, and a whole new world of possibilities opened up to me.Â
I spent the next 20+ years studying everything I could about how to heal trauma and tend to my own well-being. I've incorporated everything I've learned into my therapeutic work with clients, and over time have learned what works best and most consistently to give people back their lives.
The School for Self-Healers is the next phase in my work.Â
"I wholeheartedly recommend Maggie for anyone seeking healing, resilience and growth in both their personal and relational spheres."
-Â K.B.
"Maggie Hollinbeck absolutely changed the course of my life and helped me to lead a life that feels like my own."
-Â K.C.
"Working with Maggie has been one of the best decisions I've ever made for myself."
-Â A.D.
Why a School?
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The School is the next phase of my work, and part of my reparations to a system that has robbed so many of us of our birthright: mental, emotional, spiritual & holistic well-being.
Traditional psychotherapy has helped millions of people over its 170+ year lifespan, but it is also part of the "medical model" which is inherently patriarchal and colonizing.Â
Why is that?
- The medical model requires you to be diagnosed with a disorder (especially if you're using insurance to cover services) when the truth is that you may not be disordered at all -- many times the behavior deemed the "problem" is actually a healthy response to an unhealthy circumstance.
- Lots of people suffer from what we call subclinical, meaning that they don't meet the clinical criteria for a mental health disorder, but they can still benefit from doing their inner work. We all deserve to be honored and to heal.
- Traditional psychotherapy is done behind closed doors, with an air of secrecy and stigma to it. Too many people think that if they need help, it means they're crazy. This keeps too many people from getting support and feeling better.
- Traditional therapy is hierarchical: it views the therapist as the "expert" who is going to "fix" the client. Even the most well-meaning therapists have been trained inside of this worldview and it can be hard to shed.
- Health insurance companies are clamping down on mental health benefits by denying claims, demanding to see confidential treatment plans and progress notes, even dictating the length of sessions. (They also pay therapists unsustainable rates, leading to overly-full caseloads and rampant therapist burnout.)
Decolonizing Mental Well-Being
The School for Self-Healers is my way of stepping outside of the patriarchal model and decolonizing psychological knowledge.Â
The School is for you if you:
- can't afford therapy or don't want to work with a therapist
- want to join a community of other self-healers (we often heal better in community)
- love to learn and apply what you've learned in your own way, in your own time
The School is not for you if you:
-  You aren’t willing, or don’t feel that you can safely, be uncomfortable while you’re learning how to be more comfortable with your big, uncomfortable feelings
- This yearly tuition will be a financial hardship for you in any way
- You want, or feel that you need, to have someone hold your hand and walk you through your healing journey (no shade if you do! but this won't be the best fit for you)
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Your mental & emotional well-being is a journey, not a destination.
Let's walk the path together.Â
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