28 Feb The Psychologist, The Mom, & Me
My name is Dr. Christina Hibbert, or Mom, or Christi–it all depends on how you look at it. I figure I’d better introduce myself if I expect anyone to want to read my blog, so here are a few things you should know about me. I hope you don’t mind if I get a little personal.
First, Dr. Christina Hibbert is my psychologist name. I’m a Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Flagstaff, AZ, a mountain town 7,000 feet high set in the middle of the nation’s largest ponderosa pine forest. I am in my office counseling women, couples and families one day a week. I love the deep and meaningful interactions involved in my job as I help others heal, motivate them to change, and inspire them to flourish. I run a weekly Postpartum Adjustment Group through our local hospital where I get to interact with new moms and their adorable babies; I’m also the Founder of a non-profit, The Arizona Postpartum Wellness Coalition, and a state coordinator for Postpartum Support International. I get to do a lot of other great things as a psychologist, such as speak on topics of interest to me, create and teach continuing education classes, make a few TV appearances, and do some writing, all of which can make a difference in the lives of others. But it’s not because I’m a psychologist that you should read my blog. Don’t get me wrong–I have worked very hard for my education and expertise–but I also freely admit that the bulk of what I have to offer comes from my own real life.
Second, most of the time I’m called “Mom”. I am in the thick of raising a family, just like many of you probably are, and we certainly have had our fair share of challenges over the years. In 2007, as I was about to give birth to our fourth baby, my sister and brother-in-law both died. My husband, OJ, and I inherited our two nephews, I gave birth to our baby girl, and we went from three to six children practically overnight. The years that followed have been filled with ups and downs. I’d already experienced episodes of depression, postpartum depression three times, my youngest sister had died when she was 8 and I was 18, and we had been through a host of struggles within my family of origin, but I was completely unprepared for the challenges that lay before me as my life took a dramatic turn. I don’t care what anyone says, six kids is way harder than three, but we’ve overcome grief, loss, sibling rivalry, court battles, adoption and plain old adjustment, and now I can happily say we are living life as “normal” even if “normal” is crazy! My husband, OJ, and I have been married 16 1/2 years and our kids are Braxton (15 1/2), Tre (15), Colton (13), Brody (11), Kennedy (8), and Sydney (4). As Mom I have been in a crash course of learning and growth as I have worked to build this family and I plan to share many of our stories and insights on these very pages (and in my upcoming book, This is How We Grow).
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And third, even though I may not have much time to just be “Christi,” as my friends and family call me, I make a great effort to ensure that a little of Me shows up in each day. I love to write, read, sing songs I have written, play the guitar, be outdoors, and travel. I love quiet spaces, naps, and connecting with others. I love learning and I especially love to teach what I have learned. You see, apart from my roles as Psycholgist and wife and Mother, I am just Me–another soul struggling to make my way and learn my lessons. I have many weaknesses and many strengths; I strive to let my talents shine and to be a little bit better as a mother, wife, and person, each and every day. This is what I hope to inspire in you too.
The Psychologist, the Mom and Me? They’re all part of who I am, yet there’s still so much to discover about my life and how to live it. I invite you to join me on this journey of discovery, to become part of this community of people who choose to grow. As we overcome, become, and flourish together, we will create happier individuals, stronger families, and more meaningful interactions in the world around us. We can make a difference when we choose to grow.
What should I know about you? Leave a comment and let us know who you are (or at least who you are striving to be)!
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