Gloria Estefan: How Therapy and Self-Care Helped Her Through Trauma
Gloria Estefan, the eight-time Grammy winner, has always been known for her strength. However, after the death of her mother, Gloria Fajardo, in 2017, she began struggling emotionally. It was then that she realized how important it was to deal with her mental health.
Estefan explained at the 2023 Simmons Leadership Conference in Boston on Tuesday that she had gone through several traumatic things in her life, including a horrific 1990 bus accident that left her with a broken back and childhood sexual abuse. Despite these experiences, she had never felt the need for therapy before her mother’s death. However, she understood therapy’s value when she needed it.
Estefan has worked to find peace, and she hopes to create a dialogue about working on one’s mental health. She also recognizes the importance of focusing on one’s mental health, particularly for young people, as she sees anxiety growing.
Estefan’s self-care practices include a meditation practice that helps her quiet the constant internal voices. She also acknowledges the need to disconnect from negative influences such as the news when she feels overwhelmed. She focuses on fulfilling activities such as spending time with her family, particularly her 10-year-old grandson, who is the light of her life.
Estefan discussed her journey to find power within herself after the bus accident, which left her with a severely broken back, as doctors doubted if she would ever walk again. She grieved her body that was no longer there and sunk into a deep depression when she realized she couldn’t walk up a step alone. Nevertheless, she talked herself into getting out of bed each day and set little goals on a daily basis to make progress.
Estefan’s family keeps her grounded, and she believes that keeping her ego in check is one of the most important lessons she has learned. She believes that ego is a waste of time and that there is no room for it. However, always coming from a place of strength, kindness, openness and inclusion is a much better way to lead.
In conclusion, taking care of one’s mental health is essential, and it is a lesson that Gloria Estefan has learned after her mother’s death. Therapy and self-care practices such as meditation and disconnecting from negative influences can help one gain peace. By focusing on fulfilling activities and setting little goals on a daily basis, one can find power within themselves.
