For women struggling with their mental health, one of the hardest things for them to do is let their guard down and confide in others. Many are hesitant out of fear that their extreme vulnerability will further deepen the hole they are so desperate to climb out of or that others may view them as incompetent.

Traci Powell knows this all too well and so she’s made it her mission to help others heal and break free from the chains that bind them. And she’s well equipped to do so as a board-certified psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner, Certified Trauma Treatment Specialist and trauma education consultant. Powell is also the person behind The Rebuilt Woman, a premier, concierge mental health practice based in Winter Park where she specializes in empowering women across Central Florida by working through and healing negative beliefs and past wounds.

But unlike many traditional therapists who see patients for one-hour sessions week after week, Powell instead uses a much more specialized and unique approach that includes offering individual intensive therapy for accelerated healing. This highly personalized therapy process works to heal past traumas at the root, so clients no longer live life just managing their symptoms, but rather truly overcome what is holding them back.

Intensive therapy is an alternative approach to therapy that provides you with the uninterrupted time that is needed to work through the deep wounds that have been holding you back. Rather than be limited by the traditional 50-minute weekly session approach, intensive therapy provides you with 1-3 full-day sessions.

Intensive therapy is “intensive” because of the amount of time spent together. It does not mean you will face intense distress from reliving of old wounds. In fact, Powell has found intensive sessions actually result in less emotional distress. 

“It gives people the time and space to be able to ease into whatever issues they’re dealing with and so that we can get to the root of what is contributing to what they are experiencing,” Powell says. “They genuinely transform in those days they are with me.”

And while Powell’s extensive experience makes her superbly qualified to counsel others, she also knows firsthand what it’s like to deal with the pain that can be directly associated with anxiety, depression and past wounds. A victim of sexual abuse as a child, Powell spent decades internalizing her struggles until one day she sought the help she very much needed. While that experience helped her on the journey to recovery, it also made her realize that by sharing her painful story, she could inspire other women to find similar strength to make a change in their lives.

A nurse practitioner for 15 years, Powell started The Rebuilt Woman in 2019. She has made the business her full-time focus and has helped numerous clients transform into women who live authentic, free lives. Powell specializes in a holistic approach, using evidence-based techniques and treatments such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, a psychotherapy tool that enables individuals to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of difficult life experiences. 

Of course, no progress can be made without the other person seeking out her help. And often, that first step is the hardest one to take for those grappling with their mental health. 

“I want to be able to get the message out that experiencing anxiety and depression or having trouble leaving the past in the past is not a character flaw or some genetic defect. Sometimes we just don’t know what our unconscious minds are holding onto, contributing to the way we feel inside,” Powell says. 

That’s a big reason why Powell has been so vocal about sharing her own story in hopes it will help others break down their barriers.

“I don’t shy away from talking about [my story] because the more we talk about it, the less stigma there’s going to be. One person’s spoken story is another person’s permission to speak, so I just keep speaking,” she says. 

And with her unique approach proven to achieve desired results, Powell wants more women to know if they feel stuck, her alternative approach to traditional therapy is something they should consider.

“I’m unbelievably blessed to get to do this work,” she says. “My story was rough, but it led to this, so I’m grateful of what I lived through because it enabled me to be able to help other overcome the challenges they’ve lived with.

“I worked with a client last week who sent me a text last night. She was very gracious and thankful and said to me, ‘You were the thing I didn’t know I needed. I’m finally free.’”

Watching her clients make these breakthroughs and return to their authentic selves is easily the most rewarding aspect of the job for Powell and why she is so fiercely dedicated to the cause.

The Rebuilt Woman

Winter Garden

(352) 223-7654

RebuiltWoman.com