Daily Inspiration: Meet Heather Phipps

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Phipps.

Hi Heather, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
The word that comes to mind is “unplanned” when I talk about my story. From being the child of an unplanned pregnancy, to having my own children, being out of the workforce for some time, and to my current roles. None of it was planned by me, but I believe I entered into God’s plan for my life.

I was born in North Dakota. I met my husband at the University of North Dakota, and followed him to Colorado in 2000, where he was working as an Air Traffic Controller. We moved to Aurora, CO in 2009 after living in the Roaring Fork Valley where I worked as an Occupational Therapist. We were part of an active faith community, enjoyed skiing, camping, hiking, and exploring Colorado together. We were married and had three children in Aspen. I enjoyed my work at the hospitals in the valley and doing home health OT from Aspen to Parachute, where I could connect with people and address their physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual needs as they related to regaining functional independence.

I took time off from OT to be with my children and have yet to officially return, although I use those OT skills in my work today. OT’s know the value of meaningful and purposeful activity in one’s life to assist in a sense of overall well-being, After my first child was born, I started a scrapbooking business to keep me engaged with my creative side, document my children’s lives, and have access to supplies since they were limited in the valley in the early 2000s.

After moving down to the city, I got involved in facilitating women’s life groups, volunteering at my kids’ school, on district committees, and coaching Destination Imagination. I value volunteering as a way to contribute to others, society, and my overall wellbeing. After taking an Overcome group at my church in 2014, I started volunteering with My Quiet Cave, the non-profit providing the Overcome group experience, as a facilitator of faith-based mental health peer support groups and haven’t stopped. I have been co-facilitating Overcome groups each year and a bi-monthly group since 2015 and when the pandemic hit we went to weekly, virtual groups to help decrease isolation and increase connection. I serve on the MQC Board of Directors and was hired part-time to do facilitator training, support, and outreach.

In 2o18, I started working at the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Colorado (SPCC), another non-profit serving Coloradans through advocacy, education, and collaboration. It was at one of our conferences where I was introduced to Soul Shop Movement, which does faith-based suicide prevention training, became a trainer, and I have been working with congregations and faith-based organizations to help create soul safe communities and decrease stigma around suicide and mental health.

Faith communities provide natural places of connection and support. Partnering with My Quiet Cave equips those communities to have trained volunteer facilitators meeting the needs of participants to have a safe and welcoming space to share about emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness. My Quiet Cave has 8-week group programs for Adults, Teens, and Moms and ongoing peer support groups for faith and mental health. Soul Shop provides faith communities with training in how to minister to those impacted by suicide, whether it is lived experience, loss survivors, supporters of others, and how to assist when someone is having thoughts of suicide.

My work with SPCC has connected me with many amazing organizations and people across the state working to decrease suicide, improve postvention resources, and advocate for legislation. I’ve been honored to work with SPCC’s Chair of Advocacy on advocacy efforts statewide, including planning the annual Suicide Prevention Advocacy Day at the Capitol. It is a collaborative effort with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention-Colorado Chapter, Mental Health Colorado, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Colorado Chapter.

Working in the areas of mental health and suicide takes my lived experiences, professional training, and faith and melds them together for the perfect jobs for me. Not what I planned earlier in my life, but being able to combine all the things I’m passionate about is rewarding.

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?
When I wanted to return to working outside the home, I was surprised by how little value employers placed on unpaid, volunteer work and personal lived experiences. I had to overcome my own insecurities of being out of the paid workforce for years as well. I have been overtly and covertly told that my own mental health issues weren’t acceptable in some of my faith communities, disqualified me for leadership, and that my lived experiences weren’t enough to help other people. I believed otherwise.

In 2017, I lost one of my best friends to suicide, deeply impacting my life and future. It was hard to find my footing after her death. I am grateful I had a loving and supportive husband encouraging me and a strong group of women who helped me through other losses, disappointments, and encouraged my gifts and dreams. As I came to accept the path I chose and the unknowns ahead, I could visualize what I wanted to do, I wasn’t sure how I’d do it. I chose to have faith & be open to opportunities and opportunities came, typically through connections with people.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
When people would share about special skills and talents, I always felt like I didn’t belong and hated answering that question. I don’t have special tangible skills. I’m not particularly great at art, music, athletics, craftsmanship, mechanics, technology, crosswords, etc, or even solving a Rubix cube without moving the stickers to help. It took some time to embrace it, but I have been given the ability to connect with people and somehow make them feel seen and welcomed. I believe that comes from a deep desire within myself. It has made me a decent group facilitator and puts me in tune with the awkward and uncomfortable feelings many of us have in groups.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Being aware and open to opportunities presented is excellent networking. Being approachable and having a desire to continue learning, knowing it can be from a conversation, an article, and direct mentorship is helpful for your own growth. I try to take something positive away from my interactions with people. Even when facilitating groups, I always approach them from an “us/we” perspective and know we are learning from one another.

When I was younger, I was intentional about being involved with mentorship programs, I think finding what fits your personality, is what will work. If you know you like intentional groups for networking, join them. I found I prefer natural, relational networking. I am grateful for the people invested time and wisdom in my life. Relational networking is how God led me to the work I do today. He had a plan that was better than mine.

Contact Info:

• Email: heather@myquietcave.org
• Website: myquietcave.org and suicidepreventioncolorado.org