Need help? Let’s chat.
Let’s book a FREE 15-minute coffee (or tea) chat over Zoom or the phone to get to know each other and find out how we can help you make your dreams come true. Hear from client testimonials and learn more about our services and consultants below. Booking is simple. Just email thewayback2ourselves@gmail.com to get started. You belong here.
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
-
![]()
“I wholeheartedly recommend Kimberly Phinney to work with. She is a master poet and compassionate counselor, which made her the perfect choice as my Creative Counselor. I knew the work I would be doing in my poetry collection would be difficult as it took me into painful experiences. My poems were fully realized with Kimberly's deep understanding of poetic forms and mastery of techniques—like metaphor and imagery—keen editing skills, and insightful recommendations. Kimberly shared her expertise, heart, and space with me, providing the personal support I needed to navigate this unique and profound journey in my writing. In turn, I experienced God's grace and healing. Her understanding and care made all the difference, and I can now share this healing with others who may need it.”
Deborah Rutherford | DeborahRutherford.com
-
![]()
"I'm extremely thankful for the guidance and support offered by Kimberly Phinney. She is authentic, kind, and committed to my growth, not only in writing but also as an individual. Her keen eye for detail, insightful feedback, and unwavering encouragement are instrumental in the development of my podcast, as well as shaping my creative process and writing journey. "
Andrea Brown | www.theonething1.org
-
![]()
“I am so grateful for the opportunity to have Kimberly edit the second edition of my book, Thin Spaces. Prior to working with her, I felt embarrassed by the quantity of errors that were missed with the original editing process. Kimberly was able to take that experience and completely turn it around. She was thoughtful, encouraging, and detailed. Working with her was a dream. She was supportive in ensuring that my work could be represented with the highest of quality. I highly recommend partnering with her for any editorial needs."
Steve Veasey | www.stevecandraw.com
Dream it.
WRITING. EDITING. PODCASTING. SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT. GRAPHIC DESIGN. AND MORE…
As "seen on” Good Morning America and ABC Action News for a national teaching award with the Nobel Prize Family’s NSHSS and advocacy for mental health, literacy, and the arts.
It all begins with an idea. Then a pen. Or a keyboard, if that’s your thing. Or maybe even a podcast, since that is storytelling, too! Perhaps the story has been deep in your bones for years… Or it’s coming to light as you read these humble lines… Either way, we can help you write content or edit what you already have. As a published poet, writer, editor, and communicator (as well as an award-winning English teacher and professor), Kimberly can help you tell your stories, elevate your poetry, create content for your website or podcast, spruce up a resume, or provide developmental or line-by-line editorial services from fairy tales to dissertations. She and her team can even help you get published! You dream it! We can help you achieve it together!
With an innovative approach that serves the whole faithful creative, TWBTO is dedicated to meeting you exactly where you are in your journey, be it with growing your craft, supporting your emotional and spiritual health, or working through the roadblocks that are standing in your way. We are here for all of you!
Kimberly and our TWBTO consultants are available NOW as a published writers, authors, editors, podcasters, and educators for hire on all topics with writing, the creative arts, mental health, authentic social media engagement, spiritual growth, Substack, nonfiction book proposals, graphic design, publishing, podcasting, and more.
1:1 CREATIVE COUNSELING @ $65 an hour for content creation, editing, podcasting, marketing, graphic design, publishing, ghost-writing, etc.
Simply email me at thewayback2ourselves@gmail.com to discuss dreams, details, and service rates.
KIMBERLY PHINNEY
award-winning professor, writer, editor, counselor, podcaster, speaker, graphic designer, photographer, & founder of The Way Back to Ourselves
Kimberly Phinney has been published in Christianity Today, Ekstasis, Fathom, Humana Obscura, The Dewdrop, and more. In 2024, she became a Pushcart Prize nominated poet with “Exalted Ground” from The Dewdrop Literary Journal. Her poem “An Ode to Hard, Dark Nights” also won the Audience Choice Award in the Bright Wings Poetry Contest with Ekstasis Magazine in 2024. In 2023, her small poetry collection, “Of Wings and Dirt” won runner-up in Fathom Magazine’s poetry contest. A doctoral candidate in Community Care and Counseling, Kimberly holds a B.S. in English Education, an M.Ed. in English, and studied at Goddard’s Creative Writing MFA program. She was featured on Good Morning America for a national educator award and teaching her students through critical illness in 2023. Her debut poetry collection, Of Wings and Dirt, debuted as number one in Christian Poetry on the Amazon Charts in 2024. Her second collection, Exalted Ground: Poems of Praise and Lament for the Living, debuts in April 2025. She is at work on her next big project, a nonfiction book on her life’s work.
JODI H. GRUBBS
traditionally published author, podcast host, writer, editor, slow-living advocate, & consultant
Jodi H. Grubbs is the author of Live Slowly: A Gentle Invitation to Exhale, with IV Press and the host of Our Island in the City Podcast. In her free time, Jodi loves to write blessings and benedictions as well as deep dive into formational soul care work. She is an avid reader, always with a cup of coffee nearby. It's Jodi's honor as a slow-living guide, to come alongside those who are longing for a more sustainable pace. She enjoys accompanying others on their own writing and publishing journey, offering her lived experience from within the non-fiction writing world. Jodi lives outside of Raleigh, NC.
Jodi is available now for 1:1 coaching on Zoom.
SARAH STEELE
editor, poetry, & publishing consultant
Sarah Steele is a spoken word performer with a knack for turning emotions into performances that make you laugh, cry, or question your life choices. Her poetry memoir, An Ocean Without, became an Amazon #1 Top New Release, proving she can turn complex ideas into relatable experiences—and, occasionally, into impulse buys. Sarah has written for many publications and serves as an editor for The Way Back to Ourselves. When she’s not writing or performing, she can be found wielding her teacher’s hat over students of all ages—including her four spirited redheads, who ensure her life in Michigan is anything but boring. Subscribe to her monthly newsletter at her website: bysarahsteele.com. She would love nothing more than to come beside you on your writing journey and help you make your dreams come true.
Build it.
TEACHING. SPEAKING. WORKSHOPS. RETREATS. EDUCATIONAL SERVICES.
As "seen on” Good Morning America and ABC Action News for a national teaching award with the Nobel Prize Family’s NSHSS and advocacy for mental health and literacy.
Kimberly is available NOW as a podcast guest, consultant, speaker, teacher, and counselor on topics in creative writing, the arts, mental health, culture, faith journeys, entrepreneurship, mindset, thought leadership, disability advocacy, and more. As “heard on” Makers and Mystics, Enneagram + Marriage, Walk a Little Slower, Human Together, Good God Talks, This Undivided Life, and more. See more upcoming work under “Publications” tab.
Hire Kimberly to speak at your event or with your online community, for writing and spiritual/mental health workshops, and more.
1:1 CREATIVITY COUNSELING & EDITING SERVICES STARTING @ $65 an hour. Contact Kimberly directly to discuss speaking fees, etc.
Let’s build something together! Contact Kimberly and her team at thewayback2ourselves@gmail.com to talk about what you need and rates.
General Email
thewayback2ourselves@gmail.com
Literary Journal Submission Email
editor.twbto@gmail.com
@thewayback2ourselves
Substack
HIRE KIMBERLY FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT OR WORKSHOP.
HIRE KIMBERLY FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT OR WORKSHOP.
Kimberly speaks and teaches on faith, belonging, suffering and hope, the art and faith movement, the writing life, literary craft, soul care, mental health, and more. Hire her for in-person and virtual events. E-mail thewayback2ourselves@gmail.com for her media kit and details.