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Meet Rachel Grayczyk of Pasadena area

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Grayczyk.

Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Sure! I’m a therapist specializing in trauma recovery, providing different trauma modalities via telehealth all over the state of California. I also host workshops designed to bring people together and build resilience for all of life’s challenges.

I’ve always taken a deep interest in people and their stories. That curiosity led me down some winding paths: I wrote essays for websites like Tiny Buddha, taught yoga and meditation, and eventually began training yoga teachers in trauma-informed practices. I co-led grief groups for people navigating traumatic loss. And I did all of that while working full-time in less fulfilling roles in unrelated fields. So – of course – I eventually burned out. And instead of pushing through. I realized I wanted to go all-in on the work that felt meaningful. So I trained to become a psychotherapist.

Therapy work helped me understand something I’d been circling around for years: that healing isn’t something we do in isolation. Whether it’s through EMDR resourcing, crisis tools like SCOPE, or honoring the resilience woven into cultural traditions—healing always comes back to connection. To self. To others. To nature. That’s the thread that runs through everything I do.

And yet, even as a therapist, I’ve felt how isolating this work can be. There are so many demands on our time and energy, and very few spaces that nourish us as humans. I started wondering if there were groups out there combining self-care and connection specifically for those in the wellness industry. But I didn’t find quite what I was looking for. So I decided to create it. I teamed up with people already hosting therapist mixers and helped launch a series of workshops focused on community, embodied self-care, and shared learning. As an added bonus, we were able to donate profits from the series to the Trevor Project, a nonprofit dedicated to saving LGBTQ+ lives. So the series really ended up being a way to care for ourselves, care for each other, and contribute to something bigger than us – all at the same time.

Through these events, I’ve gotten to meet all kinds of incredible people. It’s pushed me to expand my own ways of being in community and staying regulated. Whether I’m going to an embodiment class, sitting around a sacred fire, joining a theology discussion group, or attending a Synthesis event at Scribble (where therapist/artists lead talks about the blend of healing and creative work), I always leave feeling more connected. And that’s honestly the heart of it for me – connection as medicine.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a smooth road! Therapy is actually my third career, and getting here meant hitting true burnout in my previous role at a nonprofit. I had to mine the depths of my core values to find the clarity and courage to take the financial risk of starting over and pursuing this path. And, as much as I truly love this work, it hasn’t always been easy.

One recent challenge that really stands out was when we had to cancel our Nutrition & Mental Health talk in the wake of the LA fires. So many people in our community were impacted—either directly or by the collective grief and overwhelm in the air. It just didn’t feel right to pretend we could go on with business as usual.

With less than a week’s notice, and in the midst of other massive volunteer efforts, we pivoted. Instead of a lecture, we held a healing circle and sound bath focused on collective care. Local therapists generously volunteered their time to lead the circle and the sound bath, which made the whole thing possible. It ended up being such a powerful reminder that even when things fall apart, we can still gather, still support one another. That experience reinforced what I’ve believed all along: it’s not just about sharing information or professional growth, it’s about showing up for each other when things are hard.

Given everything going on in the world right now, that kind of care and community feels more important than ever.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in working with folks who are high-functioning on the outside but carrying a lot of pain underneath. My approach is rooted in mindfulness, somatic work, and self-compassion, and I draw from EMDR, IFS, and ACT. I also work with couples using Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), helping partners move through rupture and repair in ways that feel honest and healing.

What I’m most proud of is how I approach therapy with curiosity and without judgment. I don’t see people as “broken” or “wrong.” Instead, I believe that the ways we cope with life’s challenges, even when they cause pain, have meaning and have helped us survive. I’m interested in understanding the whole picture – how a person’s experiences, including the unfair ways society can treat people, have shaped their struggles and their strengths. My goal is to create a safe, open space where we explore what’s going on together, with kindness and honesty.

At the heart of it, I think people come to me not just for tools, but for the sense that they don’t have to go through it alone.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t think of it as luck so much as access. I’m very grateful to have had access to resources – education, training, supportive mentors – that not everyone gets. I’m aware that being able to attend grad school and dedicate a lot of unpaid time to building my practice has a lot to do with the support I’ve received. It was never easy: my bachelor’s degree was entirely funded by need-based scholarships, and I’ve had to navigate all sorts of personal challenges – trauma, loss, systemic injustices – along the way. But I am grateful to have been able to navigate all the systems that brought me to where I am today. So if luck has played a role, it’s been in the form of access. And I try to pay that forward whenever I can. I’m always happy to be a sounding board, offer advice or consultation, make connections, or just hold space for a fellow wellness professional who needs someone to talk to. Anyone can feel free to reach out to me via my website!

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