A popular internet platform has recognized a local woman as The Malibu Small Business Award winner for 2022.
Barbara Jean Carey was honored by Alignable.com, a platform similar to LinkedIn, but designed for small businesses. Alignable allows small businesses to connect with one another in an effort to support each other’s businesses.
“It’s a great, cool platform because everybody just wants to help,” Carey said about the internet site.
Alignable canvassed its members in different cities to determine which small businesses have helped their communities especially during the difficulties operating during the pandemic.
“Next thing I know I got a notice I was nominated,” a flabbergasted Carey told The Malibu Times. “I was surprised. Next thing you know I got a congratulations, saying your colleagues and peers in the city of Malibu in the small business community voted you as Malibu’s business person of the year. Wow I was honored.”
Carey’s business is called The Confident Mind. She is a certified hypnotherapist, neuro linguistic programming practitioner, life coach, and relationship specialist.
Carey specializes in combating addictions. She practices at Seasons Recovery Center Malibu and also at her own private practice on Pacific Coast Highway near Las Flores.
Carey helps clients overcome addictions and relieving mental health stresses. The Malibu resident of nearly 40 years has been practicing locally for 17 years.
“I like to work with clients that are willing to help themselves by going deeper,” she said. “Clients that are willing to let go of these false self-limiting beliefs that are being held in their subconscious mind. Clients that will allow themselves to step into their authentic selves and live a life of health, wealth, happiness, success, and love.”
Carey described her work saying, “I bypass the conscious mind. I bypass the critical mind and I go into the subconscious mind to figure out what is being held in there to keep creating these unwanted beliefs, behaviors, patterns, and then we switch it out because the subconscious mind that was formed between zero and 8 years old will not allow me to take anything out without replacing it with something else.”
This reporter has personally seen Carey’s compassion at work. Two-and-a-half years ago at a community event in Malibu we both separately and independently witnessed a fatal pedestrian accident on Pacific Coast Highway. While this reporter was covering the accident for The Malibu Times, Carey was quickly on the scene of the accident site offering therapeutic comfort to the parties involved including the bereaved widow of the deceased. She was on scene for hours into the night until the accident investigation wrapped up and even offered support to other witnesses after the tragic incident without charge.
“Malibu means so much to me. This community here means so much,” Carey said. “If I can help in any way I want to be a part of that.”
Her colleague at Seasons Recovery Center Malibu, Erin O’Bryan, a holistic health coach, called Carey “one of the most compassionate people that I know — such a giving compassionate human being. That reflects in the work she does. She’s the real deal. She’s very genuine and people get that from her.
“I’ve seen her work miracles with encouraging people with their lives’ paths or overcoming phobias, addictions and everything from everyday obstacles to huge ones. She makes such a difference. She’s an impactful human. She’s one of those people you’re lucky on your journey in life if you get to call her your friend.”
Carey said she sees her talent for helping people a ‘responsibility.’
“I feel like if I can reach people and explain why they’re having certain behaviors, why their emotions are being activated, why these patterns keep repeating themselves — if I could show them that and help alter them, that their life is going to be so much more fulfilled,” she said. “That gives me more pleasure than you could imagine. It makes me feel like I was put on this earth for a purpose and that I’m doing what is helping. It’s trying to help a client see what’s no longer working for them. If I have that ability to show people that, then it’s my responsibility to do that.”