Meet Dr. Vicki Atkinson, Ed.D.

We recently connected with Dr. Vicki Atkinson, Ed.D. and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. Vicki, sincerely appreciate your selflessness in agreeing to discuss your mental health journey and how you overcame and persisted despite the challenges. Please share with our readers how you overcame. For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

I’m a believer in the power of intergenerational healing. When I wrote “Surviving Sue” about my mother’s complicated life, I did so at the urging of our daughter. As a recent college graduate with a degree in Psychology, she exhibited bravery – asking me to share the whole story about her grandmother, Sue’s life. Not the bits and pieces I glossed over to protect her as an impressionable child. Our daughter sought depth, wanting to understand her grandmother and make sense of the chaos she saw as a youngster. So, I wrote. And I wrote. Telling the story of my mother’s painful existence – her fractured childhood full of pain – and her life of unease, putting her on a path of destruction.

Sue’s descent included multiple diagnoses, including alcoholism, anxiety and depression and in the last ten years of her life, dementia created additional chaos. Not just for Sue, but for my endangered disabled sister, Lisa who had little protection from our mother’s wrath when a new diagnosis arrived – Munchausen’s (FDIA) – resulting in unnecessary medical procedures and trauma.

I learned lessons in resilience along the way, a by-product of being exposed to the pain of others, especially within my family. I see the power and purpose in intergenerational healing and recognize the bravery involved – peeling back the layers, bringing truth to light. All for the greater good.

Mental health challenges are unfortunate unifiers; most families and individuals are touched, in some fashion, by the struggle. Finding ways to contribute to the well-being of others with empathy and compassion is essential. I believe in the power of personal narratives for healing.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I love championing the courage and success of others. In my private practice, I have the privilege of assisting groups and individuals. I especially enjoy teaching others about writing for wellness.

In my role as a podcaster and blogger, I enjoy highlighting the work of storytellers – revealing tales of perseverance and resilience. And in my blog, Victoria Ponders, I enjoy focusing on wellness themes and the power of personal expression.

In addition, I co-host the Sharing the Heart of the Matter Podcast with Wynne Leon which provides a unique platform for learning – first hand – from creative and inspirational individuals. Risk takers who push themselves, dancing at the edge of their purpose.

I’m grateful to my publishing partners at Eckhartz Press in Chicago for their faith in me. Thanks to the wonderful response to “Surviving Sue”, I’m finalizing my debut novel. A story about the shadow side of deep intuition – coming in 2026!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

If I could rewind to the days when self-doubt ruled every minute, I’d sit myself down and have a stern heart-to-heart, focusing on three categories of insight. Wisdom hard-won. Children who survive trauma (Adverse Childhood Experiences – ACEs) are often hyper-vigilant in situations of all sorts. It’s a life of constant trepidation – ever on alert. When I support others in their healing journeys, three of my own hindsight epiphanies take center stage, offering opportunities for growth:

1. Let go. Seeking to control – every situation, every eventuality, every outcome – is like riding a wave which will surely pull you under. Instead? Resolve to do your best. Whatever’s in front of you. Whatever the situation or obstacle – without allowing fear to dictate. You are not a supreme being and bad stuff may occur…but it doesn’t mean you’re at fault.

2. Soak up. Revel in the compliments and kind words when they come, no matter how few and far between. Don’t dismiss and deflect. When kindness is offered, reel in the goodness and get ready to pass it on. Shine a light…consideration and compassion are powerful weapons in the war against loneliness. Give others the boost of worthiness they crave. Authentically. With love. In everyday chance encounters. They matter, matter, matter.

3. Find your family. Your found family. Your discretionary…I choose YOU family. Look for the ones who will lift you up, celebrate you. Encourage you. Be selective about who you let into your life. As challenging as it can be, make it a goal. Aspire to be around those who exude kindness and grace in their values, words and action. You are in charge.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

I am easily overwhelmed and can find myself bogged down – even by the good stuff. Saying “no” is unbelievably difficult, in part, because I don’t want to disappoint others (still a holdover from my life of “Surviving Sue”). Helping is hard-wired into my identity, but finding ways to strike a balance is essential.

As a therapist, I deploy plenty of stress-reducing, self-care techniques. I love them all – meditation and mindfulness, exercise, Shinrin-Yoku (forest bathing) and more…but the best trick is the simplest. Breath work. Anywhere, anytime. No equipment is required – just connect with your life-sustaining breath and give it its due. Embrace the magic of inhalation and exhalation to create calm – on demand – whether you’re pausing in your car before heading into a meeting or detouring to a bathroom stall to reset…with breath.

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Image Credits

All images are my own.

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