Moxie in the Making: The Owner’s Journey
Rebecca Cooney, CEO of Moxie Mental Health
Life is a series of decisions—some daunting, others exhilarating—that push us to embrace the unknown, relinquish control, and trust ourselves. My journey has often felt like assembling a puzzle, piece by piece, with patience and determination as my constant companions. Over time, those pieces have come together, forming the person I am today. If someone had told me years ago that I’d become a trauma therapist, Reiki practitioner, yoga instructor, and mindfulness leader, I would have laughed. And yet, here I am—proof that growth, healing, and transformation are possible, even in the face of life’s challenges.
As a therapist, I’ve learned that the best practitioners are often shaped by their own experiences with mental health—whether personally or through loved ones. For me, living with and navigating PTSD wasn’t just a challenge; it became a defining part of my story. There’s a vast difference between reading about trauma and truly living it. This is where the concept of Moxie comes into play.
Moxie is defined as; force of character, determination, or nerve. It takes Moxie to step into therapy, face your inner struggles, and accept the hard truths that once felt impossible to do. Our clients embody this strength every single day. And it takes Moxie to be a therapist—to hold space for others’ pain and guide them through the healing process.
My time working in community mental health at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center (JHBMC) was pivotal in shaping me as a clinician. I worked with individuals experiencing severe mental illness (SMI), which deepened my empathy and sharpened my skills. During that time, I also became a certified yoga instructor and Reiki specialist, incorporating these holistic approaches into my work with clients experiencing PTSD and other SMI. This is where the pieces of my professional puzzle started to align. I realized that the mind-body connection is undeniable. Therefore, helping clients reconnect with themselves—mind, body, and spirit—became my mission, one that I carry with me every day, and what led me to obtain my clinical advanced licensure while shifting to work in outpatient therapy.
In 2021, I trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, and once again, more pieces of my puzzle clicked into place. EMDR felt intuitive, a natural extension of my mindfulness and yoga background. Witnessing the profound healing my clients experienced through EMDR reaffirmed that I was on the right path. I’ve since begun exploring Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, which has further deepened my practice and left me eager to learn more.
By 2023, life handed me yet another transformative experience: motherhood. Having my daughter brought me a new, deeper level of clarity along with a refreshed sense of purpose. As I looked back at the puzzle I’d been piecing together for years, I realized it had all been leading to this moment—the birth of Moxie Mental Health, just eight months after my baby girl’s arrival.
Entrepreneurship is in my blood; my entire family is full of small business owners. But more than that, Moxie Mental Health is my greatest passion brought to life. Our mission is to empower survivors of trauma to heal and reclaim their lives with strength, resilience, courage, and confidence. And most importantly, we believe true healing requires Moxie—a bold spirit of perseverance—from both the client and the therapist, and we’re here to walk beside you with unwavering support every step of the way.
