Restoring Self-Worth Through Healing – Exclusive Interview With Dr. Dalesa Rueda
- Brainz Magazine
- 6 hours ago
- 6 min read
Dr. Dalesa Rueda is a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, CEO of Inspired & Free, and a passionate advocate for emotional healing, empowerment, and authentic living. With over 20 years of experience in the mental health field, she has built a 7-figure, multi-state virtual therapy practice focused on helping individuals, couples, and families heal from trauma, break unhealthy cycles, and rediscover their self-worth.
Dr. Dalesa blends professional expertise with real-world relatability, offering transformative spaces for growth through therapy, workshops, and retreats. Her mission is rooted in the belief that true healing begins when people are empowered to live authentically free from guilt, fear, and old wounds.
She is also the founder of The Empowered to Heal Project (EHP), a newly launched nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to therapy for marginalized communities. In 2025, she was honored as a Titan 100 Award recipient, recognizing her leadership and innovation in mental health care. Whether in the therapy room, on stage, or at a retreat, Dr. Dalesa shows up with humor, storytelling, and a deep belief that healing is possible for everyone, especially those who were taught to survive instead of thrive.
Dr. Dalesa C. Rueda, CEO & Founder, Inspired & Free
Please tell us more about you.
I'm someone who believes in the power of storytelling, both in therapy and in life. Growing up, I often found myself playing the "strong one" for others, but it wasn’t until I did my own healing work that I understood the depth of strength in vulnerability.
As a Black woman raised by a single mother, with a mother who was adopted and a father I didn’t grow up knowing, identity and belonging were always complicated for me. I became a teen mom myself and had to find my way while navigating the weight of responsibility, ambition, and invisibility.
That experience of not feeling like I fit, even within my own story, deeply shaped me. And now, it fuels my mission to help others, especially people of color and those from marginalized communities, feel seen, grounded, and worthy. Sometimes the journey isn’t just about healing trauma, it’s about learning to accept yourself in a world that gives you a million reasons why you shouldn’t.
Tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that brought you to where you are today.
After years of juggling work, motherhood, and personal battles, I reached a turning point during my divorce. On the outside, I was successful in raising three beautiful daughters and pursuing my doctorate, but internally, I felt disconnected and lost. Choosing myself for the first time was the hardest, yet most liberating decision I ever made.
That journey back to myself changed everything. It taught me how to hold space for grief and joy at the same time. It showed me how to rebuild not just a life, but a relationship with myself. That same energy, honest, grounded, and compassionate, is what I bring into my work, my current (and healthy!) marriage, and into every space I create.
What drives and inspires you?
I’m inspired by people who choose healing when it would be easier to stay stuck. The clients who show up week after week, even when it's hard. The couples who learn to communicate with love instead of survival. The parents who break cycles for their children.
I’m also inspired by my family. I’m married to an incredible Latino man, and together we’re raising a beautifully blended family. Our love is real, deep, and intentional, and that shows up in how I support other couples, especially those navigating complex dynamics.
Finally, I’m driven by my calling. I know I was placed here to help people come home to themselves. To remind them that they don’t have to earn peace or love, but that they already deserve it.
What is your business name and how do you help your clients?
My practice is called Inspired & Free, and our mission is simple: we help people heal, grow, and live authentically. Through therapy, groups, self-guided programs, and retreats, we meet people where they are and help them shed the survival patterns that no longer serve them.
Our team of culturally responsive therapists specializes in trauma, relationships, self-love, and anxiety, providing care that's relatable, compassionate, and transformational.
What inspired you to create Inspired & Free?
I wanted to build the practice I wished existed when I was struggling, one that feels warm, welcoming, and real. Therapy often feels clinical or detached, but healing is personal. It’s messy, it’s brave, and it requires a deep connection. I created Inspired & Free to be a place where people don't just talk about healing, they experience it.
On a deeper level, Inspired & Free was born from my own journey as a Black woman navigating identity, belonging, and self-acceptance. For a long time, I didn’t feel like I truly belonged anywhere. Now I create spaces for others who’ve felt the same. Sometimes healing is about learning to love yourself when the world gives you a million reasons why you shouldn’t. Inspired & Free is my answer to that.
Can you share a client success story that stands out?
One of the most moving journeys I’ve been part of was a couple who came to therapy on the brink of separation. They were exhausted, resentful, and emotionally disconnected. I even recommended a temporary pause in therapy to reflect and reset.
During that time, they each began doing their own work, confronting the ways their pasts, especially childhood wounds, were affecting how they showed up in the relationship. What changed everything was their willingness to admit that the problem wasn’t just the other person. They saw that they each had healing to do, individually, so they could reconnect as a couple.
Months later, they returned open, self-aware, and ready to rebuild. I had the privilege of seeing them grow and eventually get married. They were open about our work in their ceremony, and their families even pulled me aside to thank me. That moment reminded me: healing doesn’t just save relationships, it transforms people.
Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far.
Being named a 2025 Titan 100 Award recipient was huge. Not just because of the recognition, but because of what it represented. I talk a lot about imposter syndrome, that tape that plays in our heads saying, “Who do you think you are?” I’ve had to work hard to quiet that voice.
This award reminded me that I am her. That I’ve built something powerful. I’ve made healing more accessible, more human, and more real. And I didn’t have to shrink or compromise my authenticity to do it. That’s the real win.
What new projects are you working on right now?
I’m incredibly excited about two things:
First, the launch of my nonprofit, The Empowered to Heal Project (EHP). It’s been a dream of mine for years to create a nonprofit that provides free or low-cost therapy, healing events, and community care to those who need it most. We officially launch this fall with our first fundraising event, and I’m honored to be building something that will outlive me.
Second, we’re hosting our first Inspired & Free Couples Retreat in July 2026. It’s a 4-day experience for couples who want to reconnect, break toxic patterns, and build a deeper, lasting bond. We already offer workshops and couples therapy, but this retreat will be next-level immersive, intimate, and transformational.
What advice would you give to someone just starting their healing journey?
Start where you are and be gentle. You don’t have to be perfect to begin. You don’t have to know all the answers. You just have to be willing to be honest. Healing is messy, nonlinear, and absolutely worth it.
Also, find people or spaces that make you feel safe enough to tell the truth. That could be therapy, community, or even journaling. Give yourself permission to grow at your own pace. You’re not behind. You’re just beginning, and that’s sacred.
What would you like the reader to do next?
If you’re ready to heal, connect, or just feel a little less alone, let’s walk this journey together.
Healing is possible. And you don’t have to do it alone.
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