We recently had the chance to connect with Bella Rockman and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Bella, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
That’s easy….
Meditation, prayer, stretching, skin care, fresh juice or protein shake, sunshine, fresh air and my baby bamboo tree!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I think what makes my brand and our work unique is that we’re educating schools, communities, agencies and corporations on behavioral health and making it interesting, fun and inspiring change.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
People pleasing! In some ways it served its purpose, opened doors and helped me get into rooms perhaps because of how well presented I was. Some of that well presented-ness was steeped in deeply ingrained expectations of people pleasing that from growing up.
However, I’m now okay with “coloring outside if the lines” nowadays so to speak. Being a little edgy, unconventional and in some instances irreverent. We are meant to be originals, not copies and it took me a while to learn that it’s okay not to be everyone’s cup of tea. You will be disliked by some. Your message will not resonate with everyone, but for those you are called to reach, you will be embraced.
When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
When I was sad or scare as a child, I would often go look out the window and look up at the clouds towards the sun. Sometimes I would go outside and sit in the sun for a while and reflect. Now that I’m older, it makes me think of how plants lean towards the sun. How nature is hard wired to go towards light, comfort, goodness, nurturing and a place towards growth. It was in those still quiet moments that I would hear and sense a presence greater than myself gently leading and guiding me along the way even as a kiddo.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
For Therapist, I think our industry (and grad school) teaches us the lie that because we are in the helping field, we have to take on heavy case loads, burn ourselves out and almost treat our work as an altruistic outreach. I’ve found that there are additional creative ways you can pursue in our industry that don’t require high caseload burn out and that can add some diversity, levity and additional compensation to your work like. Things such as coaching, providing training, public speaking and authoring books.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Born to do.
As apart of my work in the Mental Healthcare field, I’ve gotten involved in Public Health and Public Policy. No one told me to do this, in fact, I avoided it for a long while, because I’m pretty shy, introverted and prefer to be behind the scenes. It takes an enormous amount of confidence and courage to stand before legislators and make your case advocating for the modification of existing laws and for new bills to be passed into law. I remember the quote, “Speak your truth even if your voice shakes.” I’ve leaned on that often.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jrocktherapyinstutute.com
- Instagram: @jrocktherapy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bella-j-rockman-3a67711a8?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@jrocktherapyacademytv?si=IqEDEkys2CVuG5MD
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jrocktherapy-podcast-the-jrock-report/id1461282043
