Barbie Moreno
The Path to Healing and Transformation
We are each a mosaic of our experiences, with the choice to be either bound by them or transformed through them.
True transformation happens when we embrace our past, forgive, and consciously create a new path forward. As we begin to understand that everyone carries their own wounds and stories, we gain the ability to live with compassion for ourselves and others.
Barbie's Journey
Finding My Worth
“What’s wrong with me?”
This question followed me through different stages of my life, lingering in those quiet moments when I felt unseen and unheard. Each phase of my journey carried lessons in resilience, growth, and ultimately, a return to self-worth.
Early Life: Struggles and Survival
As a child, I remember lying in bed, listening to the sounds coming from my parents’ room—the yelling, the crying, the breaking of furniture. One night stands out in my memory: the door opened, and my mother emerged, bruised and broken, silent tears streaming down her face. My father was in the grip of addiction, and we—his family—were the outlet for his pain.
Eventually, he left us to start a new family, leaving my mother alone with the weight of raising my brother and me. She neither wanted nor had the tools for that burden, so I found my own path to survival. I threw myself into school and work, determined to break free from the chaos at home. I thought I had made it out by the time I left after high school. But I would later learn that I had only just begun my journey.
Professional Success: A Mask of Achievement
Years later, I became a top producer at Wells Fargo Private Bank, earning a six-figure salary and accolades that I’d once believed would validate me. But despite the success, I felt hollow—constantly striving to prove my worth in an environment that valued output above all else. I was still haunted by the same question, lurking just beneath the surface: “Am I enough?”
At 28, I had my daughter. She was everything I could have hoped for, and I was determined to give her the love and stability I’d always wanted for myself. But life threw me another challenge. Her father and I divorced, leaving her with the reality of a broken family. I felt I had failed her, despite all my efforts.
Three years later, I married the love of my life. But even in this new partnership, I still carried old fears. I worked harder, always trying to prove my worth, until finally, my body and spirit began to break down.
Turning Point: Rediscovering Myself
In 2014, after the birth of my son, I sank into severe postpartum depression. My doctors urged me to take time off work to recover, but I was so attached to my identity as a successful career woman that I couldn’t let go. I knew something had to change; I was exhausted, depressed, and disconnected, searching for a way out of the patterns that had defined my life.
One night, I came across an article about equestrian therapy for depression and anxiety. The idea took me back to my childhood, when my happiest memories were playing with toy horses. I took it as a sign and signed up for lessons. Four sessions in, the horse spooked, throwing me off and leaving me with fractured vertebrae and herniated discs. This accident brought excruciating physical pain, but it also forced me to confront my emotional pain. I could no longer hide behind independence and achievement; I had to surrender.
In that vulnerable space, unable to care for myself or my family alone, I was finally able to see a truth I had been avoiding: I had spent my life proving my worth, rather than embracing it. This was a moment of surrender that showed me the strength of my spirit beyond any title or role I’d taken on.
Awakening: Finding Purpose in Healing
This pivotal moment guided me toward a deeper understanding of my journey. I began reading What Happened to You by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce Perry, and it transformed the way I saw myself, my past, and others. My life’s purpose was no longer in banking or finance. I was meant to support others who have faced trauma, to help them find peace and healing in their own stories.
Today, I focus on helping people understand trauma and resilience—not only through the science of psychology but also through the spiritual truths that hold us. I work with clients who want to move beyond survival and enter a space of true self-discovery, self-compassion, and healing.