Christina Grampp Hibbert always knew she wanted to be a mother—but she didn’t always plan on being a psychologist, speaker, and award-winning author. In fact, the BYU alumna (’95) changed her undergraduate major a couple of times before finally concluding that her calling was in the field of psychology.
“My first major in college at Brigham Young University was fashion design,” Hibbert recalled, “but after the first day of my first sewing class, I realized I can’t draw and I don’t love sewing!” This led her to tentatively land on Communications as a major, but tragedy struck at the beginning of her sophomore year when her youngest sister passed away. That, combined with the influence of a professor, prompted Hibbert to change majors one more time. She graduated three years later with a bachelor’s in psychology.
Now a clinical psychologist, public speaker, and radio show host, Hibbert recently launched her third book, “8 Keys to Mental Health Through Exercise,” a selection Publisher’s Weekly called “an enlightening and empowering instrument.” This book is meant for those struggling with mental illness or anyone hoping to gain the many mental and physical health benefits of frequent exercise. Her other publications are “Who Am I Without You? 52 Ways to Rebuild Self-Esteem After a Breakup” and her debut book, a best-selling and award-winning memoir entitled “This is How We Grow.”
“I honestly love what I do—all of it,” Hibbert said. “Connecting, learning, teaching, inspiring, helping, healing, offering hope, and loving greatly. It’s just a pleasant bonus that I somehow receive all of this back ten-fold in return. It’s my main motivation to overcome my challenges, to ‘choose to grow’ and become my best self, and to let my light shine and flourish!”
More important to Hibbert than any of her professional endeavors, though, is her family. She has been married to her husband, OJ, for over twenty years. Together, they have six children between the ages of eight and nineteen. This keeps her so busy that she’s come to call herself a “work-at-home mom”—writing, producing videos, and even seeing online clients from her home office while her kids are in school.
Hibbert’s road hasn’t always been easy. In 2007, as she was preparing to give birth to her fourth child, her sister and brother-in-law tragically passed away. Hibbert and her husband then adopted their two nephews.
“I’ve had my share of trials, especially when it comes to death, loss, and grief,” she said. “But I’ve learned that it’s exactly these hard times that have forced me to grow the most. They’ve led to who I am today, and to the opportunities I’ve been given to now help others through their trials and triumphs.”
