abigail spilburg fulfills her dream of becoming a mental health counselor

spilburg’s mental health journey inspires her passion for helping others.

kim chaudoin and courtney grable  | 06/22/2023

when abigail spilburg graduated with her master of science degree in clinical mental health counseling in may, it was a milestone in a lifelong journey. 

as a young person, school did not come without challenges for spilburg. she struggled with, what she now knows, were learning disabilities. 

“growing up in the early ’90s, learning disabilities were not diagnosed nearly as often as today,” recalls spilburg. “but, somehow i graduated high school.”

spilburg embarked on a quest to earn a college degree. she also found this journey to be filled with challenges. “i then tried my go at college six times at six different colleges, all while struggling with addiction and an eating disorder,” she explains.  

after seeking therapy and learning more about the impact of her early childhood, spilburg decided to choose a different path. “this gave me a canvas to start exploring who i wanted to be. i became empowered and moved to hollywood to become a professional makeup artist, which became my form of art therapy and connection with others,” says spilburg. “there is something incredibly vulnerable about allowing someone to trust you enough to touch their face. this connection fed my soul for helping others.” 

“fast forward 15 years in which i had accomplished success without a degree, but i felt an empty feeling of not living my full potential,” she continues.

she dreamed of becoming a mental health counselor, but hesitated in that pursuit knowing that she would need to earn a college degree.

“most adults do not get diagnosed with learning disabilities but i was not stopping until i could put a diagnosis to this sense of failure,” spilburg explained. “i received a diagnosis of dyslexia, which gave me a platform for self-determination. i signed up for an undergrad program at belmont (university), learned how to study what worked best for my learning style, and graduated after a year and a half of dedication.”

upon graduating from belmont, spilburg began her journey to receiving her master of science degree in clinical mental health counseling from lipscomb. “there is simply no other clinical mental health counseling program like lipscomb. this program has wonderful connections in the mental health community in nashville,” remarks spilburg. “it also supplied a grant program for integrated behavioral health that i knew i wanted to take advantage of since it works with the underinsured and underserved community.” 

spilburg was driven by a quote her father often shared with her. “the minute you get comfortable,” he would say, “find a way to get uncomfortable. it is in the time of uncomfort that you learn.” because of this inspiration, spilburg chose to write a thesis for her elective credits. 

“i knew it would be difficult, especially with my dyslexia, but i also knew it would be incredibly uncomfortable,” she admits. “i have learned an incredible amount of knowledge around health care disparities and what i can do to bring a voice to a population that deserves mental health care services. my thesis committee, dr. (douglas) ribeiro, dr. (francis) martin and katie link have been the most amazing partners in this process and i will forever be indebted to them. this program is not for the faint of heart. you must be willing to be open to learning and trust the process.” 

with her master’s degree completed, spilburg’s quest to become a counselor is now a reality as she works in the integrated behavioral health realm of counseling at matthew walker comprehensive health center, where she completed an internship. 

“i feel incredibly proud but also know there is so much ahead of me,” spilburg says. “i want to continue to advocate for this community and continue my research to help create change in health care reform.”