Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin Jackson.
Hi Robin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My mother is the reason I am the person I am today. I grew up in a family surrounded by love from my aunts and uncles to my grandparents. So, when my parents divorced, I still felt a strong sense of belonging. My mother did not let her divorce define her at a time when divorce was frowned upon. She raised three girls, my sisters and me, and instilled in us a strong foundation of independence and the belief that we could get through anything and be anything.
My mother was an educator. She taught for 30 years in the public school system and had an amazing impact on her students. At the end of the school year, students would leave crying because they loved how much she believed in them. She taught them in a way that helped them feel confident in themselves.
My mother is still living and has dementia. My sisters and I find it an honor to now take care of her, just as she took care of us. She has always been my light in the storms, from childhood through adulthood. She is my story.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I look at things differently now. Before, I would have thought the challenges I encountered were struggles. But I have learned that those challenges were just experiences in my journey.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My counseling career is my second profession. Twenty years prior, I had the greatest opportunity to work for a major airline as a flight attendant. That job gave me such great exposure, not only to people from various backgrounds, but it allowed me to travel the world and obtain such a rich perspective. Most people have the perception that the experience of being a flight attendant is just serving drinks and food. However, it’s our little secret, as we know the true depth of the experiences we encounter and the gift that comes with those experiences. Truly, life lessons.
I’ve always been passionate about helping others; counseling is my second profession. However, both professions are intertwined. As I was pursuing my master’s degree in counseling, I was flying. I would leave my evening classes, jump on a plane to London, Germany, or any international destination, as those were my routes at the time. So not only were my layovers filled with exploring the country, but with no doubt, plenty of school assignments. After 9/11 is when I returned to school, as I had not gone to college after high school; instead, I attended a travel and tourism school. Because I didn’t have a degree, I felt I would not be able to work in the capacity in the helping field as desired. Therefore, I felt it was the perfect time to pursue a different career, as there was so much uncertainty within the airline industry after 9/11.
After I completed my master’s, I worked in various behavioral fields. It was not until I was 50 years old that I decided to start my own practice in psychotherapy. For me, it was something about 50 that made me feel fearless and more confident, and truly trusting my path. And that, I feel, is a result of seeing and knowing the world through the many different perspectives I was fortunate enough to experience during my years of flying. So when I turned 50, I entitled it the New 50. Often, society can label and set a perception for how one should navigate the later years of their lives.
But for me, it felt like a renewal and an embracing of who I was and who I am today. Not only in my personal life, but in my work and with my clients. I get to witness people renewing their lives and becoming the person they’ve always wanted to be. It is a beautiful experience to witness!
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success as having the freedom to navigate and pursue life in my own way and without allowing limitations to define what is possible for me.
I define success as being healthy in order to experience life.
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