Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Woodward.
Hi Rebecca, 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?
I began my undergraduate studies at West Virginia University. Just one month into school—my first time away from my childhood home—my parents called to tell me they were getting divorced. That experience deeply impacted me and ultimately led me to major in Child Development and Family Studies. At the time, I believed I could figure out how to create the “perfect” family. As you might guess, that’s not exactly how things turned out.
After college, I started working in the mental health field with youth, which led me to pursue a master’s degree in Social Work at Salisbury University. Since then, I’ve worked across various areas of the social work and mental health field. Whether it was within the prison system, addiction programs, psychiatric rehabilitation, outpatient mental health, or schools, I noticed a consistent theme: regardless of the diagnosis, “problem,” criminal charge, or “disorder,” the root cause was often the same—childhood trauma.
On a more personal level, despite my clinical training and past experiences in therapy, I began to notice recurring patterns in my own life. I eventually came to realize that these patterns, too, were rooted in childhood trauma.
Motivated to help both my clients and myself heal in a deeper way, I pursued a Reiki II certification. Inspired by my mentor and her work, I committed to an 18-month training program in Reiki and energy healing. That decision changed the trajectory of my work—and, more profoundly, my life. Through receiving multidimensional healing sessions from my mentor and establishing a daily self-Reiki and meditation practice, I experienced healing in a way I never had. It opened the door to a level of self-love I had never known.
Energy work is an often undervalued yet essential resource for healing and the human experience. Its roots lie in Eastern and Indigenous medicine practices. As a social worker at heart who is deeply aware of the injustices tied to class, race, and gender, I felt increasingly called to integrate decolonized (non-Western) modalities into my therapeutic approach. And so, Ancestral Roots Reiki was born.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
If you had asked me three years ago whether I would be running a therapy practice and offering Reiki, I probably would have laughed and said, “Heck no!” A series of events unfolded—ones I initially resisted—that ultimately led me to where I am today. I’ve now been a business owner for exactly one year!
Learning the ropes of running a business has come with its own unique set of challenges. And if I’m being completely authentic, the biggest challenge has been working through my subconscious beliefs and programming—not the ones that cheer me on with, “You got this!” but the ones that whisper, “You can’t do it.” And that’s the work of healing.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Ancestral Roots Reiki (ARR) was founded as a practice dedicated to promoting mental wellness and healing by treating the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. While traditional therapy practices often focus primarily on the brain and body, energy work supports true healing by addressing the spirit.
I identify as a psychic psychotherapist, bridging clinical therapy techniques with complementary energy healing approaches, including Reiki and multidimensional energy work. Being psychic allows me to access information beyond my own awareness—like tapping into a spiritual library filled with guidance and support for living our best lives.
I specialize in working with individuals with complex trauma histories, survivors of intimate partner violence and human trafficking, individuals affected by race-based trauma, and children or transitional-aged youth at risk of incarceration or legal involvement.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I find my grounding by the water—whether it’s a walk along the harbor or enjoying a day on the roof at Merritt Gym’s pool, the presence of water is essential to my spirit. I am deeply moved by creativity and community; I love discovering what others are doing locally and globally. Also, with a decade of experience in the restaurant industry, I hold a deep appreciation for culinary art, and cooking remains one of my favorite hobbies. Travel, culture, and cuisine continue to bring me deep joy.
Pricing:
- Reiki Session $133
- Multidimensional Healing Session $177
- Mental Health Therapy $155
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ancestralrootsreiki.com
- Instagram: @ancestralrootsreiki
