Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Jefferson.
Jessica, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have always been “that person” people drifted to when they needed someone to talk to. I never knew how important it was for people to process their feelings until I lost my stepfather.
In short… it was a rough time for myself and for my family.
I really had to take a moment to reflect on what I wanted out of life and how I wanted to honor the life that I lost. Not to mention, I had recently graduated college unsure of what was next for me. So not only did a lose a sense of my present… my future was unclear as well.
Through my journey, I realized that I wanted to help others through their tough times to help them find what they want out of life.
That is what brought me to my career now and I love it.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A smooth road??? Yeah.. no.
My process through grief was hard because I lost a sense of myself and my family lost its stability. My family was my everything and we needed repair.
I stopped being myself and I didn’t know how to get back.
Luckily, I had people who weren’t going to give up on me and I wasn’t going to give up on myself.
So I tested the waters and two years later, I found my calling. (I never said it was a short road).
If I had to give any advice to women (regardless of age), I would say don’t give up. You can find your way. You might also find that you can become a better version of yourself.
Plus… don’t be afraid to ask for help. It can be the best thing for you.
Lastly, I get it pain sucks. Been there. Sometimes it is needed for us to learn more about ourselves, our support system and where we want to go.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Cloud Nine Therapeutic Services – what should we know?
I am a registered marriage and family therapist intern and I LOVE what I do.
I work with individuals who are struggling to find their way. They have lost their self-confidence either through a recent breakup, uncertainty of what they want out of their lives or through the stresses of everyday life.
I also work with couples who want to regain the love back in their relationship. They want to love their partners as they once did… like when they were dating. They need guidance on communication, conflict resolution and building intimacy.
Lastly, I work with moms. As a mom of two, I understand that the struggle is REAL. Managing home, work, and life can often get in the way of moms taking care of themselves. We are the backbone of our homes, so if we aren’t doing well, our homes aren’t doing well. So my job is to help moms gain back that freedom and confidence they want while rocking a diaper bag.
I LOVE what I do because it gives me the opportunity to help others become a better version of themselves. I connect with my clients because I like to go back to the basics and help them gain back that strength that they feel they have lost over time. I talk with them as if we are having a simple conversation at Starbucks because I don’t believe that therapy has to be this scary place. We do talk about the hard stuff, but my mission is to make it as comfortable as possible.
What I love most about my business is that I can be me while helping others be themselves. I love to bring humor to the therapy room because it helps to break down expectations and open up more possibilities. When a client aspires to be more like Beyonce, that feels AWESOME! While we can’t all be Beyonce, doesn’t mean we can’t try.
We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
I believe the biggest barriers to female leadership all boils down to high expectations.
It is great to expect a lot out of yourself and to place big goal ahead of you, but often times we are set to a much higher standard than others. No matter what we accomplish in life or how hard we work, we often can’t please everyone. So we end up feeling like our work was for nothing, which can be very defeating.
Not having enough leadership opportunities can also be a huge barrier for women. We are more than capable to be leaders… we have proven that on NUMEROUS occasions, but yet here we stand.
If we can create a truly equal environment for men and women, we can be able to accomplish a lot more in life.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2419 E. Commercial Blvd, Suite 203, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33308
301 NW 84th Ave, Suite 208, Plantation, FL 33324 - Website: www.cloud09therapy.com
- Phone: (954) 317-9460
- Email: cloud09therapy@gmail.com
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