Born and raised in California, Barbara “BB” Crawford never thought she would end up in Texas. She fully expected to either be living on the West Coast or in a brownstone in New York writing books.
What she didn’t expect was to fall in love with the military and move to Harker Heights.
To blend her passion of helping others navigate the ebbs and flows of life and serving the military, Crawford created her business: Emotional Self Sufficiency. She offers a unique blend of pro bono coaching and training for the military and “for profit” coaching and trainings for companies and civilians.
“Soldiers and families benefit by learning tools and exercises on how to reduce their anxiety and stress while living in the moment. So many people drag their pasts behind them and push their futures away,” she said. “Companies benefit as their employees become more and more focused and productive as stressed employees and turnover is reduced.”
Crawford has been trained in trauma resolution since 2007 and her clients include victims of violent crimes, CEOs suffering from the chronic chaos of corporate America, and military personnel from Vietnam to the most recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I walk through the training of tools and techniques to reduce the symptoms of anxiety,” Crawford said. “I’m not a therapist. I’m like a life coach with specialized training on trauma resolution. I pass no judgement and I’m not analyzing people.”
Expanding the “for profit” side of her business, she recently started a partnership with Heritage Park Fitness where she will be serving as the gym’s life coach.
“It’s a good fit,” Crawford said, adding she has more than 30 years of experience motivating and helping people as an anxiety/trauma reduction trainer, executive recruiter, licensing agent, and top leader for Weight Watchers.
She arrived at Fort Hood in 2012 to offer anxiety and trauma resolution for the troops and families, operating under the umbrella of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment.
The year prior, during the unit’s deployment, Crawford provided training via Skype to then Lt. Col. Bryan Radliff, commanding officer for the regiment, from her home in California.
At that time, she worked primarily with rape victims and people exposed to other violent crimes.
When the regiment returned, the command team asked her if she was willing to come to post and provide pro bono work because the installation “didn’t offer what she brought to the table.”
“This is my way of saying ‘thank you’ and giving back,” she said. “This is what I am passionate about.”
Article provided by Vanessa Lynch | Herald staff writer Contact Vanessa Lynch at vlynch@kdhnews.com or 254-501-7567.
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