Billie was raised in a home where expectations were high, but rules for meeting those expectations were unspoken. Her parents did the best they could with the knowledge they had from their own childhood experiences. As a byproduct of her parents’ disorganized attachment style, Billie became the “responsible child” in the home, always seeking affirmation outside of herself, and continuously questioning her self-worth. Seeking a healthier balance of behaviors and responses, in order to develop strong relational connections, Billie began to develop self-care practices reflective of her understanding of trauma-informed care.
Her interest in helping others examine the role developmental traumas played in their unhealthy behaviors lead her to seek treatment modalities outside traditional graduate training. She became certified in Body-Centered Therapy in the 1990s. Through this model, Billie was able to help clients see, and work to resolve, reactions in the physical body, which reflected unhealthy coping patterns in the mind. Essentially, Body-Centered Therapy allows a client to focus on the physical cues the body is giving to help heal, taking a break from the intellectual distractions the mind has used to cope during the traumatic event or series of events.
Even after years of personal treatment and steps toward individuation, Billie still felt unanswered questions teasing her mind, which led her to the Trauma-informed Care (TIC) training through the Colorado Professional Development Center. This course went beyond the foundational TIC trainings she had previously completed and opened a world of deep understanding of the impacts of developmental trauma, PTSD, ACEs, and attachment styles. After a lifetime of seeking personal answers and helping patients find answers, she says, “I can finally connect the dots and live my best life”. Billie’s passion for studying, teaching, and being a life-long learner is present in every aspect of her life including her relationships with her husband, children, friends, and colleagues.