Meet Sarah Rollins

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sarah Rollins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sarah below.

Sarah, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

For most of my life, if you asked me to describe myself, “confident” and “high self-esteem” would not have been on my list. I didn’t consider myself “naturally smart” so I developed a strong work ethic to overcompensate. I would compare myself to others, resulting in a lack of awareness of my accomplishments. Most of my actions stemmed from fear and insecurity. My journey in business has been about doing hard things and working hard at them. When I didn’t know something, I didn’t give up and found the resources to figure it out. The recognition and acknowledgment that I can do hard things and not give up have helped me build self-esteem. Before, I saw my work ethic as a detriment but now I see it as a strength. It gives me the confidence in myself to know that I can get through hard things, even if I have no idea how.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

When my brother was 11 years old (and I was 9), he wrote about me for a school assignment. It read, “I am thankful for my sister. She always knows how I feel. She can give me important advice on what could help me through my life. She can show me what is right and wrong and she helps me decide on how to be a good person.” Although I took out a few things such as “without her, there would be no one to fight and argue with,” the general gist is still intact.
I was born an empath. I can feel, sense, and connect to people’s emotions and energy. Although my professional education was in psychology and social work at the University of Michigan, I believe a lot of my skills as a therapist are innate. I knew from my first psychology class that I wanted to be a therapist. I’m grateful for this gift because not everything in my life has been that clear.
Throughout my social work career, I’ve worked in various settings including domestic violence shelters, in homes with families, school-based residential facilities, and outpatient mental health. One common thread I noticed was everyone is looking for connection. To be seen, heard, appreciated, and attuned to. This led me to seek advanced training in Somatic Experiencing, which is a body-oriented trauma treatment, and start a group therapy practice.
Embodied Wellness, PLLC is an online group therapy practice specializing in somatic and EMDR therapy in Michigan. My business grew out of my desire to spread awareness of somatic-based trauma interventions. When we ignore how trauma, stress, and anxiety affect the body, we do a disservice to those who are suffering.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Purpose:
As a small business owner, I couldn’t envision myself on this journey if I didn’t have a sense of purpose. Understanding my “why” has gotten me through days of fear, frustration, anger and despair. My “why” keeps me going. It gives me a sense of hope when I struggle to see any. It helps me see what I am doing has a deeper meaning. It can get so easy to get wrapped up in things that I have to do but in the greater scheme of things are meaningless and purpose keeps me grounded.
Stamina:
Running a business is a marathon, not a sprint. You have to develop stamina. If you use all of your energy at the beginning, you will quickly run out of steam. At the beginning, you don’t get breaks because that means your business isn’t running. It is not a clock-in, clock-out type of job. You will eat, sleep, and breathe your work. You can only do this with stamina.
Humility:
To me, being humble is about recognizing what I know and don’t know. It’s about listening to others and being empathetic. Humility is admitting my mistakes and asking for help. What I’ve realized is that I make mistakes everyday and there is a lot I don’t know. What I have learned is I don’t have to know everything. I just have to know what I don’t know and be willing to ask someone who does.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

I grew up in the 90s. That means every time a new Harry Potter book came out, I would dress up with my friends, go to Borders bookstore, and wait until midnight to get the book. Then, I would stay up all night reading it. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I grew up together… they just didn’t know it.

There are so many lessons through the series on love, friendship, fear, bravery, and choices. The author, J.K Rowling, does a brilliant job of depicting aspects of mental health such as depression through dementors. She also normalizes and de-stigmatizes the thoughts, feelings, and experiences we have in our minds. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, there is an exchange between the main character, Harry, and the headmaster of the school, Dumbledore. Harry asks, “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?” and Dumbledore responds, “Of course, it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” We often gaslight ourselves into believing that what happens in our minds is less “real” than external events. In reality, they can be just as significant and impactful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.embodiedwellnesstherapy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/embodiedwellnesstherapy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/embodiedwellnesstherapy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/embodied-wellness-pllc