187: Giving the Gift of Therapy with Hope Gives

Live Well Bipolar ™

Overcoming Trauma to Becoming Support: An Empowering Conversation with Jen Hilderbrand

Jen Hilderbrand shares her personal journey overcoming traumas from childhood and how she did not realize the ways in which these events would impact her life as an adult.

She shares how the trials she faced eventually led her to therapy which saved her life when it came down to navigating the sexual abuse and trauma from her childhood.

Eventually her therapeutic journey led her to getting involved with Hope Mental Health Foundation (Hope Gives). Jen explains the driving mission of the non-profit organization which she is now President of: to remove financial barriers to therapy for families and individuals in need.

Hope Gives believes that therapy should be accessible for all to progress emotionally, heal and break cycles of destruction. Jen describes the fundraising initiatives and how she works to spread awareness about mental health care, the importance of therapy, and the tireless work by the team at Hope to ensure therapy is accessible to all who apply for sponsorship (the dream they want to make a reality).

As you can see in this episode picture, I had the pleasure of meeting Jen in real life last October at the third annual Hope Gives Charity Gala. Her spirit was infectious but her story was really what showed me how serious she takes this work.

To connect with Jen you can follow her here and learn more about the great work Hope is doing here!

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

01:39 Jen Hildebrand's Personal Journey and Struggles

04:01 The Impact of Childhood Trauma

08:05 The Power of Therapy and Personal Transformation

16:12 The Birth of Hope Gives

23:46 The Challenges and Triumphs of Hope Gives

31:36 The Future of Hope Gives and Final Thoughts