Her Story
About Cari
Cari Rickabaugh is a Trauma Healing Life Coach, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Master Bodyworker, and energy work practitioner, and the founder of Resilience Mind and Body Coaching.
Cari spent over two decades as a massage therapist specializing in injury, rehabilitative, and sports bodywork, including a season with a professional Major League Soccer team. She grew up in a household that appeared "perfect" from the outside while enduring mental, emotional, and physical abuse, alongside a decade of sexual abuse she had repressed since childhood. After beginning coaching to process the abuse she remembered, those repressed memories surfaced as well, and she spent two years working through all of it. That experience led her to found Resilience Mind and Body Coaching.
Cari describes herself as trauma-experienced rather than trauma-informed, drawing on her own recovery as much as her training. Her coaching integrates somatic awareness, trauma healing, and mindset work to help clients process trauma, rebuild self-trust, and move into lasting transformation.
Cari is a published author, having contributed to an anthology that became an international bestseller. She hosts the podcast BEing with Cari, exploring how guests define and live out "BEing" in their own lives. In the past year, she has appeared as a guest on more than 35 podcasts and continues to build a career as a speaker, sharing her story of overcoming trauma and building a life she once believed was out of reach.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cari
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success first and foremost to God, who placed a friend in my life who ultimately connected me with someone who saved my life. Secondly, I credit my resilience, which I believe comes from a higher power beyond myself.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to do it scared—do it even when you feel trepidation, fear, or anxiety. Whatever it is I want to pursue, I’ve learned that I should still move forward, even if I’m uncertain or uncomfortable, rather than waiting for fear to disappear.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering my industry is to pursue what you love, what truly calls to you, and what brings you joy and peace. When you align your work with what genuinely fulfills you, you position yourself to serve and impact a greater number of people in a meaningful way.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field right now is the growing reliance on AI in coaching spaces, where it is sometimes treated as though it has lived experience or true understanding. While it can make support feel more accessible and even safer, it can also risk replacing or diluting the human connection that is central to effective coaching. At the same time, AI presents an opportunity when used intentionally, as many coaches are leveraging it to enhance their work, improve efficiency, and better serve their clients.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity is the most important value in my work and personal life. For me, it means being honest, keeping my word, and following through on what I say I will do.
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