Today we’d like to introduce you to Heidi Rimstad.
Hi Heidi, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
This story of mine has been unfolding for decades. Every day, every choice, every experience has contributed to who I am today. And for the record, my story isn’t finished—we’re simply capturing a moment in time.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in Psychology in the mid-1990s and worked in human resources and administrative roles before becoming a full-time stay-at-home parent in 2000. I deeply valued that season of life and feel incredibly grateful I was able to be so present with my children. In the mid-2010s, I returned to graduate school and completed my master’s degree in mental health counseling. I’ve now been a therapist in the Mankato, Minnesota area for approximately 13 years and am the owner of a private practice, Liminal Space Counseling Services, LLC.
In 2021, as we were slowly returning to in-person connection after COVID, I was gifted a Reiki session. I had never heard of Reiki before but was open to the experience. It actually took about four sessions for me to quiet my mind enough to fully receive it—but once I did, I fell in love with it. I sought out a Reiki Master and began training, initially with the intention of offering it to myself, my family, and close friends. However, the more I learned, practiced, and experienced Reiki, the stronger my inner knowing became that I was meant to share it more broadly.
I began to see and feel how Reiki beautifully complements traditional talk therapy. Sometimes we don’t have the words to express what we’re feeling, and Reiki gently accesses and supports the release of what remains unspoken.
The essence of Reiki—love, oneness, compassion, peace, healing, and growth—is woven into who I am and how I show up in all of my work. As a mental health therapist, I help people connect to their bodies and internal cues to support processing and healing. As an end-of-life doula, I support comfort, sleep, acceptance, and peace. And through reflective consultation and light debriefing with professionals responding to child abuse and neglect, I help honor their experiences and reduce the impact of vicarious trauma.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’m not sure how to define “smooth road.” It’s simply the road I’m on. Sometimes I pause and look back, sometimes I put on my glasses and try to see what’s ahead in the distance, and sometimes I lie down and look up at the sky.
When I reflect on the challenges I’ve experienced, I tend to separate them into internal and external.
My internal challenges have largely centered around trusting and loving myself enough to get out of my own way—learning not to let fear, doubt, and uncertainty interfere with my goals or how I show up in the world. It’s also been about practicing greater self-kindness and easing the tendency to judge or criticize what I do—or don’t do—and when.
Externally, my challenges have included introducing new ideas, concepts, and language to professionals and a community where “energy” isn’t a common framework. I love living in rural southern Minnesota, and with that comes a responsibility to show up, educate, and sometimes “prove” both myself and the work I do.
Marketing has also been a challenge for me. It can feel overwhelming, and I want to remain genuine and authentic without getting caught up in search engine language or the pressure of constant content creation because I am “supposed to”.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
This question has always felt a bit tricky for me. I’ve been called a “jack of all trades, master of none,” and while it wasn’t said with kind intent, it has made me hesitant at times to define what I do; especially because what I do is deeply intertwined with who I am.
At my core, I am authentically imperfect, open-minded, intuitive, humorous, kind, empathic, genuine, and a creative problem solver. I care deeply about being of service to others as they move toward a more fulfilled life, while also honoring the challenges they face along the way. I believe every person has an innate capacity to heal, and sometimes we simply need someone to walk beside us in that process.
I also believe we live within systems that can feel outdated or misaligned, and part of my work is helping people recognize their worth and value beyond those systems while creating a new template of empowerment and options.
My overarching purpose is to help people connect to their inner light and integrate that awareness into their daily lives, so they can live and shine more fully as themselves. I believe each person’s existence, and the light they carry is unique, meaningful, and needed in this world.
This perspective informs all of the work I do. I am a mental health therapist, Reiki Master, end-of-life doula, and reflective consultation and light debriefing consultant.
I’m not sure I can define what I’m most “known for,” but the feedback I receive most often is that people feel seen, safe, and heard in my presence. That when I challenge someone I am working with it is done from a place of kindness. I’m often told that I’m “real” and “normal,” and that’s something I take a lot of pride in. I like being able to share knowledge and insight with others in a way that feels grounded and relatable.
I’m also proud of being a lifelong learner. When something in my life feels out of alignment, I’m willing to do the work to understand it and make changes. I’m not afraid of growth or transformation. In fact, I welcome it.
Any big plans?
I have a wide range of plans for both the near and distant future, all of which center around Reiki. It’s where my focus feels most aligned right now.
In the short term, I plan to offer more specialized and immersive Reiki experiences for clients, update my brochure and website with current information, and explore creating a YouTube channel to share meditations and supportive resources.
Looking ahead to mid range plans, I envision developing travel retreat opportunities designed to support personal growth, healing, and self-discovery while exploring sacred places around the world. The intention is to foster deeper connection; to ourselves, to others, and to places beyond our everyday environments. Grounding us in the understanding that we are all interconnected.
Long term, I hope to create an outdoor sanctuary for Reiki, rest, and recovery—one that incorporates the healing elements of nature with the presence of animals.
The work I do as an end of life doula will be ongoing. I will continue to focus on providing education and classes, not only around end of life topics and planning, but also how this universal experience impacts our everyday living.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.HeidiRimstad.com
- Instagram: lightfromwithin.llc
- Facebook: Light From Within – Reiki
