Today we’d like to introduce you to Serena Freiberg.
Hi Serena, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Serena Hall Freiberg. I am a Christian mother and wife who has learned to overcome C-PTSD and help others do the same. I grew up in a Hillbilly clan in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. Abuse, neglect, poverty, fear, and intimidation were ingrained at a young age. Survival was always at the back of my mind, and fear of others was instilled in me regularly. I developed asthma before the age of five and almost died several times, alone in a chair, because my family did not believe in medicine or the government. My brother, sister, and I survived beatings, hunger, kidnapping, molestation, and illness. My safe place became school, even though our family disapproved of higher education. My mother had been forced to drop out of school at nine years old, and my stepfather was illiterate. While both of my siblings agreed to drop out of school, I refused to do so. I had learned about truancy from a visitor at school and knew that my mother couldn’t make me leave, although she could make it miserable for me. With no help at home and abuse for continuing, I went on to be salutatorian and go to college. The scholarship I received for that accomplishment gave me the opportunity to work hard and advance. I went on to obtain my bachelor’s degree in psychology and my master’s in Christian psychology and counseling, summa cum laude. I became certified in EMDR and work as a trauma therapist. I also run a non-profit that provides scholarships for women who have a history of trauma and abuse and are struggling to move forward in life. I ended the cycle of abuse in my family and have been happily married to my husband for 25 years. We have two wonderful daughters who have never known a traumatic home, have both graduated high school and attended college, have always had medical care, and were allowed to develop their own personalities and independence – my greatest accomplishment in life.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The struggle to complete high school was the hardest. I moved out of my mother’s home to attend college. While the financial burden became heavier, the mental and emotional burden eased significantly. I received scholarships and worked full-time while attending college as a full-time student. I obtained my bachelor’s and master’s degrees while homeschooling our two daughters. I have always had the endless support of my loving husband. I benefited from his family tremendously. They were caring, stable, and giving. It took me ten years to accept that life can be good and peaceful. I learned that most of what I had learned about love, life, and strength growing up was incorrect by experiencing the examples set by his family.
We’ve been impressed with Designed to Heal, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and an EMDR Certified therapist. I work for Designed to Heal in Azle, a ministry-based sliding-scale Christian counseling center. I specialize in trauma and anxiety disorders. I see each client as a worthy individual deserving of respect, dedication, and absolute confidentiality. I approach each person using a faith-based, holistic framework that incorporates the Adaptive Informational Processing model as a guide for case conceptualization. In addition to EMDR and the AIP model, I incorporate a range of therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Transactional Analysis, Motivational Interviewing, Art Therapy, and play therapy, into my treatment.
Specialties:
– Ages 5 and up
– Individual Counseling
– EMDR
– Abuse and Trauma
– Crisis
– Shame and Guilt
– Neglect
– Phobias & Fear
– Anxiety
– Panic
– Relationship Struggles
– Parenting
– Low Self-Esteem/Insecurity
– Couples (seen separately) working toward a common goal
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Those who survive trauma unknowingly take the place of their abusers as adults. Their inner dialogue becomes the replacement for the abusive words and behaviors of their abusers. So, they get abused and or neglected growing up, then end up thinking they are the problem as adults. I tell my clients that when we are born, we have an internal stream of water flowing through us. It is clear, clean, and flows freely through the brook of life: each time we are abused, a piece of trash is added to our stream. Eventually, every day becomes increasingly difficult to function in. Thinking and behaving ‘normally’ becomes increasingly complex. While the victim believes this is just how they are, after treatment, they realize it was really just all of the trash in their stream. Once the waste is removed, life becomes calm and straightforward. Then they know it was never really them all along.
Pricing:
- 50-150
Contact Info:
- Website: https://serenafreiberg.com
Image Credits
The first picture of me was take by Legacy Photography from Weatherford Tx
