The Faces of Healing: Rebecca Drake, MA, LPC

Healing is a shared rhythm, and every person at Attune plays a vital note. Each month, in The Faces of Healing series, we'll introduce the voices, stories, and spirits that bring our mission to life. These are the people guiding recovery, holding space, and showing up every day to walk alongside our clients. Because healing isn’t just about what we do—it’s about who we are.

Take us back to the beginning, what pulled you toward becoming a therapist? 

I was actually told from a young age that I would make a good therapist. During my young adulthood I had a few impactful experiences with kind and empathetic therapists that made me start to seriously consider the possibility of going into mental health care. 

How would your clients describe you? And how does that match up with how you see yourself in the room?

I believe my clients would describe me as kind, compassionate, understanding, and empathetic. That matches up well with how I see myself and I am always working towards creating a safe and comfortable environment for clients.

Every therapist brings something personal to their work. What life experiences do you think have made you better at what you do?

I believe having personal experience (either my own or close family/friends) with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, addiction, physical illness and disease, dementia, and death and loss gives me a deeper understanding and broader perspective of what my clients are seeking from therapy experience. 

What does a session look like when it’s going really well? What’s happening in the room?

The client is doing the majority of the talking, making connections for themselves, and processing emotions with me commenting or questioning sparingly and only to prompt continued discovery and processing by the client. The client feels a sense of safety, connection, and being truly heard allowing me to be present and witness to their healing. 

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

Chocolate mint chip. 

Is there a belief or philosophy about human beings that sits at the core of how you approach your work?

No one escapes the human experience without trauma. 99% of humans are good with layers of pain and hurt that sometimes obscures or hides their innate goodness. Sometimes even from themselves. There is a Rumi quote that sums it up for me, “Love is the whole thing. We are only pieces.” 

What’s something about the therapy process that you wish more people understood before they ever walked into a session?

It’s a process. You are in charge and the expert on yourself. And if you don’t connect with your therapist, you have every right to find another. 

Outside of work, what are you doing? What keeps you grounded or fills you up?

I have a regular spiritual practice. I spend lots of time with friends and family, I listen to nonfiction audiobooks and love watching documentaries. I spend quality time with my beautiful dog Lilly. 

What was the first concert you ever went to and what was your favorite concert you ever went to?

My first concert was Billy Joel and my favorite concert was Tori Amos. 

Has your understanding of mental health and healing changed significantly over the course of your career? What has shifted for you?

Not a ton has changed in my core beliefs about the healing process of therapy but I continue to be learn and practice new techniques and approaches as we discover more about the human brain, behavior, and evolve.

If someone were trying to decide whether therapy is right for them, what would you want them to know about what it feels like to do the work? 

It is such a rewarding and enriching experience and can help one make fundamental changes and discoveries, improve relationships, communication, behaviors, and quality of life. I like to think of it as the benefits of physical exercise for the body, for the mind and soul.