Story & Lesson Highlights with Jacqueline Soboti of Shrewsbury

Jacqueline Soboti shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Jacqueline, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I wake up at either 5am or 6am most mornings. I spend the first 30 minutes in bed. My first practice is either a 10 minute meditation, gratitude list, or practice of being in deep appreciation for the affection of my two pups who are typically alongside me. Afterwards, I practice spanish for 20 minutes. I started to study it during the pandemic. My mother is Cuban and maintaining the language is a priority for me. Afterwards, I do the “morning shuffle” dogs out and prep my husband and I for the day. Afterwards I am out the door to exercise, move my body, and do something good for me to start my day.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a Doctor of Social Work and I provide individual counseling to teens, emerging adults, and adults. I am a trauma therapist and am trained in EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, and Polyvagal Theory. I also own The Therapy Institute, a group therapy practice that provides outpatient mental health care to children, teens, adults, families and couples. One aspect I love about my work is the closeness that the team at The Therapy Institute has.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Ruptures happen in all relationships. I think breakdowns in communication or trust/safety cause bonds to break between people. Proper repair restores the bond. When relationships matter, it is important for conversations to be had (even if they are hard!), so each person can own how they contributed to the break down in their relationship. It is not about being right or being wrong, it is about seeing the other persons side, validating them, maybe apologizing and seeking to move things forward.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering is a fact of life- we all encounter adversity. What I have learned from my suffering is to not shy away from it (even though it can feel so icky, sticky, and big) but instead be with it. Our emotions present as sensations in our body- the good/the bad/ the ugly and everything in between. We do not fight off the emotion of joy or excitement typically because it usually feels light in our nervous system. It is the emotions that tend to have heavier sensations in our body that we view as unpleasant or problematic. In order to grow, have success, or change there is a degree of uncomfortableness. What I have learned from suffering is to stay with it, allow it to shift and change, because it will. And without that resilience to be with it, success is not possible.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I am committed to educating young, budding therapists on the importance of understanding the nervous system and the critical role it plays in mental health care.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
Deeply wired in our DNA is a need for connection. It is essential to our survival just like the air we breathe and the water we drink. Ultimately, without connection we will falter. I think that understanding this is critical to the human experience. If we zoom the lens out and think about how safety in relationships fosters connection and well-being within families and communities. Then if we consider how a lack of relational safety creates dissonance, we could approach larger issues differently. If the goal of most people was to foster a sense of safety, I think the world would be a kinder, gentler place.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
The Deerwood Company
Kirchhof Photography

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