Innovating Therapy for the Digital Age with Jessica Jefferson at Cloud Nine Therapeutic Services. Ep.55

Episode Overview

• Episode Topic:
  Welcome to Mastering Counseling, we engage in the crucial topics of networking and work-life balance for therapists with Jessica Jefferson of Cloud Nine Therapeutic Services. We explore how therapists can effectively connect with peers, build professional relationships, and create a supportive network. Additionally, we discuss strategies for maintaining a healthy balance between work responsibilities and personal life, addressing the unique challenges that therapists face in managing their time and energy.
  
• Lessons You’ll Learn:
  This episode is packed with valuable insights into the importance of networking for therapists and how it can contribute to professional growth and development. We’ll discuss practical strategies for expanding your professional network, leveraging social media, and participating in networking events. Moreover, you’ll learn essential tips for achieving a sustainable work-life balance, including setting boundaries, prioritizing self-care, and managing stress effectively.
  
• About Our Guest:
  Jessica Jefferson, is the owner of Cloud Nine Therapeutic Services, with extensive experience in the field of mental health counseling. Jessica’s journey into counseling was inspired by personal experiences, driving her passion for helping others navigate through grief, relationships, and life transitions. With a background in marriage and family therapy, Jessica brings a unique perspective to the topics of networking and work-life balance for therapists.
  
• Topics Covered:
  Throughout the conversation, Jessica shares her expertise on various topics, including the impact of attachment styles on relationships, working with clients transitioning from military to civilian life, and addressing heartbreak, depression, and anxiety in therapy. She also discusses the importance of creating a comfortable and supportive environment for clients, incorporating humor when appropriate, and providing clients with practical tools and exercises to implement outside of therapy sessions. Additionally, Jessica emphasizes the significance of building a strong online presence through website development and leveraging networking opportunities to expand one’s professional circle.

Episode Transcript

Jessica Jefferson: I think that one of the biggest issues that a lot of therapists have is the feeling of needing to be productive. I like to have a mix of productivity and unproductivity because I think that’s a good blend. So I give myself that time to just decompress and do what I feel like I need to do for myself. I also limit my evening availability so that I can be home with the kids and not necessarily feel like I’m missing out because you know, that’s important to me as a mom to be able to be there for my kids. As much as people need money to, like, pay back student loans and stuff, time is a commodity we can’t get back.

Becky Coplen: Welcome to Mastering Counseling, the weekly business show for counselors. I’m your host, Becky Coplen. I’ve spent 20 years working in education in the role of both teacher and school counselor. Each episode, we’ll be exploring what it takes to thrive as a counseling business owner. From interviews with successful entrepreneurial counselors to conversations with industry leaders on trends and the next generation of counseling services, to discussions with tech executives whose innovations are reshaping counseling services, if it impacts counseling, we cover it on mastering counseling.Thanks so much for tuning in again to Mastering Counseling. We are excited today to talk to Jessica Jefferson, who is the owner of Cloud Nine Therapeutic Services, and she has a lot of experience in this. So we can’t wait to hear your story and where you came from. So why don’t you just talk to us about how you got into the mental health world?

Jessica Jefferson: It’s a pretty long story that I’ll try to cut short. The path to mental health counseling for me started with the passing of my stepfather. seeing the ripple effects of something that happened so suddenly just propelled me to want to do something different because initially, I was probably going to do law school, but that had such a profound impact, and I didn’t realize how grief impacts us in ways that we just didn’t imagine, and I wanted to be able to help others through that process.

Becky Coplen: Okay. How long ago was that happening?

Jessica Jefferson: 2008.

Becky Coplen: All right. Well, oftentimes the personal side of things is brought in and we appreciate the vulnerability. Why don’t you tell us you’re a licensed marriage and family therapist, was that your track from the beginning? Did you start out more generally, or how did your training look Then where you are now in your practice?

Jessica Jefferson: My training, it did start generally. I was in college when my stepfather passed. So as the ripple effects happened, I wasn’t necessarily prepared for grad school. I did my first master’s in clinical psychology. While it was informative, it just didn’t feel aligned with what I was looking for. So I took a year off to think about what is it that I wanted to do. For me, I wanted to work in relationships. Not saying that psychologists don’t, I just think I wanted more of a systemic approach. Then that’s how I landed with marriage and family therapy. To be honest, when I found it, I didn’t know if it was an actual thing because I’d never heard of it before. But I took a risk and it actually paid out pretty well.

Becky Coplen: Good. That’s awesome. Now you work both in Florida and New York, correct? So do you live in both? How does it work? Are you only online? Talk to us about location and, using Zoom or whatever it is you use.

Jessica Jefferson: I actually live in Florida and I do in-person sessions in Florida,   and virtually. The reason why I chose New York is because I’m originally from there. I think there’s some part of me that always hoped to move back. So I do virtually with my clients in New York. I Just utilize simple practice, my EHR, which I think I was hesitant in the beginning of my practice to invest in, but it has saved a lot of time, just having everything all in one. So I utilize that in terms of seeing clients in New York.

Becky Coplen: We love that. That’s great. It’s always interesting the different laws and, who can practice where it seems like a lot of people add Florida. But you live in Florida, so that’s different. Other people we’ve interviewed are all around the country, but then they will practice in Florida as well. So maybe it’s a little easier to be licensed, I don’t know.

Jessica Jefferson: Well, I heard that it is easier to get, I don’t know, the official title like your tele-practice thing with Florida, so I think it is just the ease of being able to get licensed is helpful because it was a pain to get licensed in New York. And I think that’s why some people do not necessarily go that route, because it just the paperwork, I guess. We all hate the paperwork.

Becky Coplen: I know. You’re like, let me just talk to the people. It seems like in a lot of your work, you focus on infant and adult attachment and working through those things, Do you actually work with infants? Is it from the time that they weren’t attached as an infant, or talk to us about that with the different ages that you work with?

Jessica Jefferson: Sure. I don’t know, for whatever reason, infant attachment has always been a fascination of mine since my bachelor’s, and it’s actually what my first master’s thesis was in infant attachment. It’s really about how our attachments in early childhood impact our romantic relationships. So that’s the lens that I take with a lot of my clients. I do work a lot with new moms. We do implement that a little bit as well. I don’t work with kids. I’m working with adults, helping them understand. Again, patterns and how their behavior can be influenced by their childhood experiences. And I think it’s become more trendy, to be quite honest, the attachment styles. It’s been an easier conversation to have with clients because they have some basic foundation of understanding how different attachments impact their romantic relationships.

Becky Coplen: Okay. No, I find that so interesting as well. I’ve been in the foster care and adoption world, and that is always, to me, such a big thing and often a mystery. When you’re working with the adults, do you find that they know a lot about that time? Do they go on an exploration journey in their early childhood? I mean, obviously, they don’t have memory. But is it things you just suggest could have happened, or do they go on a path of discovery? Do you know what I’m saying?

Jessica Jefferson: My second session with the client and this is something I’ve always discussed with them, is fully devoted to history. So I open the session with “Take me as far back as you can remember child who lives in what works our way to the present.” That’s where I get a timeline of things. We talk about the different relationships that they’ve had in childhood. I also ask them to explain the relationship that their parents had with each other, maybe not necessarily with them just so that I can get an understanding of their framework. So that’s something I fully devote the second session to, just so that I can understand how they came about in understanding how relationships need to form and how their behaviors impact, either their partners or their friends or still their family of origin. So I take the whole second session to go over that.

Becky Coplen: Very interesting. Seeing as you say, you work a lot of times, with couples Then new moms, do you find that people that you work with as being a couple, then if they have a child, they come back to you? Do you see some of that?

Jessica Jefferson: I do think that you can have such a good framework as a couple, but then obviously when you add a third, it can shuffle things up Then not understanding the different roles that you’re now playing. You’re partners, but now you’re also co-parents and understand how that impacts their lives moving forward. For me it’s always important while yes, we’re parents, I always say your partner’s first, that’s where things started. So getting them to figure out how they can reimagine their relationships now with the baby, but also feel like they’re giving enough time to be parents as well.

Becky Coplen: It’s definitely a big transition in life for all people. I think I saw you are also a mom, which you’re very open about on your website. I am as well. It’s a huge thing. I think, I really love when you said,I leave my practice, but I don’t really go home to relax because the family is a big part of it.

Jessica Jefferson: After this, I’m going to my son’s soccer game. So it’s always something where you don’t fully take the hat off. It just is a different hat.

Becky Coplen: Right. I’ll be going to several sporting events later as well. So I hear that for sure sometime in Michigan. So we are in basketball. We are not in outdoor soccer. There is indoor soccer. So let’s talk about that a little bit though, because we are often reminding therapists with a lot of the things they’re helping people with. Are you able to find some time for you to decompress and relax with all you have going on? How does that look for you? Because a lot of us have that full home life and full work life.

Jessica Jefferson: I really try to arrange my schedule in a space where I could have time off. I’m fortunate in that regard that I’ve built my business to the fact that I can do that now. So every other Friday I have off, so I drop the kids off in the morning, I go home, and I just I allow myself to relax. I think that one of the biggest issues that a lot of therapists have is the feeling of needing to be productive. I like to have a mix of productivity and unproductivity because I think that’s a good blend. So I give myself that time to just decompress and do what I feel like I need to do for myself. I also limit my evening availability so that I can be home with the kids and not necessarily feel like I’m missing out because you know, that’s important to me as a mom to be able to be there for my kids. As much as people need money to, like, pay back student loans and stuff, time is a commodity we can’t get back. So for me, it’s super important to make sure that I have that time to do and be a mom. Then there are days when I go out with my friends and my son will ask, well, why are you going on? I’m like, well, because it’s also important for mommy to have mommy time. For me, it’s important to also teach my kids that it’s okay to do something that you enjoy. I know that for a lot of moms, there’s that guilt factor of it. But you come back more refreshed for your kids.

Becky Coplen: Totally agree. I’m all about that as well. Like you had time with your own friends and I don’t know, I always feel like I learn something new. It could be as random as, like some new painting trend or a new recipe and you’re like, I never would learn that if I didn’t take the time with my friends. That’s awesome. One angle of your practice that I don’t think we’ve gotten to talk about here is your focus in transitioning, I don’t know if it’s families or individuals from military to civilian life, so I’d love to hear about that. Is it more the whole family system? Is it people struggling with PTSD? How does that look in your practice?

Jessica Jefferson: Again, this goes back to my origin story, if you will. So my mom is retired military. A lot of my childhood was, I don’t know how to say it, maybe not so happy with the constant moving her going away for training. It’s not something that a lot of people take into consideration, that it’s not just the service member who has to make sacrifices, it’s the whole family unit as well. So that’s what started it. Then my stepfather was also military. When he passed my mom divulged to me that he had PTSD. I was away at college, so I wasn’t super around. But not having that crucial piece of information would have maybe changed the outlook on a lot of things. Because then a lot of things started to make sense in terms of behaviors and mannerisms, again, not only for my stepfather but for my mom as well. For me, it was super important to figure out a way to give back and maybe help gain some understanding of how military culture is unique. A lot of the time when a service member is looking for services, they’re looking for someone who understands that culture because it’s not as black and white as they think. So that’s really what drove my purpose and working with this population.

Becky Coplen: This episode is brought to you by mastersincounseling.org. If you’re considering enrolling in a master’s level counseling program to further your career, visit mastersincounseling.org to compare school options via our search tool that allows you to sort by specific degree types, tuition, our costs, online flexibility, and more. I love that because we have a few more extended family who lived all over. It is such a challenge to start those roots in new places. I admit, I mean, sometimes and it’s not my own family in particular, but I will cry sometimes at holidays because you know these people are not together. And don’t get me started even on the commercials at Christmas. On holidays, in the commercials with military families, are most tearing up. This is real life. I can’t imagine being separated. It’s not like medical people give a lot to working certain holidays and all that. But this is often months, maybe a year or longer. So it’s huge. That’s great.

Jessica Jefferson: It’s an adjustment for the family because they have to learn how to live obviously without that vital piece of that family member especially for multiple kids and not to be stereotypical because either a woman or male could be the service member, but you go from a two-parent household to a one, that’s a big transition. Then coming back is not as smooth sailing as people think it is because then they have to find their roles in this system that they’ve already created, kind of not feeling left out.

Becky Coplen: No, that’s very interesting. I’m glad you’re doing that work. Your practice, I would say you work with quite a few different populations for multiple issues. I think you also help a lot of people with heartbreak, depression, and anxiety as well, right? So just talk to us, I feel like a lot of people you’ve talked on here have become very specific, not right or wrong, of course, but very specific in who they’re working with. But you felt like it was for you. You enjoy the different types of issues and different ages. Would you say?

Jessica Jefferson: Well, I primarily work with adults. I mean, I do work with the parents in regards to their kids, but I don’t I don’t see their kids specifically, but, it’s hard to say because a lot of anxiety and depression could be seen in heartbreak because you’re still going through that anxiety of questioning yourself questioning what happened in the relationship or what happened with whatever heartbreak they’re experiencing. Then sadness, it’s still connected even though it seems different. For me, it’s just what I feel most passionate about and what I feel like I could really help clients with. But then obviously there are populations that I refer out because I know that I wouldn’t be doing the best service for them because it’s just not something I specialize in.

Becky Coplen: Right, let’s just go into the business side of your practice a little bit. Is it you are the sole therapist on your own? And do you handle all the business side of things like taxes, accounting, and scheduling? Do you do all of that?

Jessica Jefferson: Unfortunately, I do. I mean, I do have an accountant that I send that stuff to, but other than that, it is me. But we’re getting to a point where I might need to start delegating out. I think that having that understanding that, like we’re good. Maybe I need to give up something so that I can give myself something back. It’s in a transitional phase at the moment.

Becky Coplen: No, I appreciate that. We’ve had all kinds of people on here, they’re still managing all of it. And they talk about how they schedule that out in or maybe certain apps or things that are helpful. Then some people who are part of a 20 group, 20 therapists and one practice, and why they’ve joined together and all that. Do you have a certain space,   outside of your home, or where do you meet your clients in person?

Jessica Jefferson: Actually, as of this year, I am in my own office. So I think I’ve accomplished my goals for 2024 already in February. I transitioned to my own office just as a way to have a separate space to see my clients. In Florida, there’s not really that separate location in your house to see clients as they are in different areas, even though I think that would be pretty nice. But I do like having separateness from my clients so that I can establish my own professional boundaries. So I needed a separate space for that.

Becky Coplen: well, congrats on the new space. That must have been exciting to have that, I assume it’s not too far of a commute for you.

Jessica Jefferson: It’s fine. It’s like five minutes. It’s not that far.

Becky Coplen: Let’s talk about it, I think I know the answer exploring your website, and the name of your practice, Cloud Nine. I know when you scroll down, I feel like it was I, Correct me if I’m wrong, It seemed like different emoji clouds or a little cartoon. That’s what I was thinking. But talk to us about the name and the branding because I thought it was really cute and fun.

Jessica Jefferson: I can’t take credit for the name. My sister’s the one that came up with that, and this was ten years ago, so I don’t remember the context of which it came up. But it’s funny because it’s a common name, but it is what it is. But yeah. So cloud nine is essentially my first iteration of the branding was finding the silver lining in the darkest places. Because again, mine was finding it through grief, and being able to create purpose with that. Uh, Then in terms of the branding, for me, it’s always been very important to make it feel like I do feel like people could connect with me as a person and not necessarily feel like, oh, I’m going to go see a button-up person. That’s not going to be able to understand me. So I wanted to create a more casual comfortable feeling. Because we’re talking about things that people don’t want to talk about. It is important to feel safe and comfortable so that you don’t feel like it’s just too much. So my branding, it’s really about being comfortable. I do provide humor obviously when appropriate. But I wanted to create a space where people just felt understood.

Becky Coplen: I thought they were fun and I feel like your website, I’ve been on lots of people has lots, just to go through a lot of testimonials, and it just felt like for one-person practice, very robust website, I think.

Jessica Jefferson: The website, that’s the biggest project I think I’ve had in my business. It’s a lot time consuming, but I think it’s been the biggest return on my investment. Whenever I meet with a therapist and they’re starting out and they want advice and stuff, I always say you need to build a website. You need to build something that clients can connect to. Not only that as a therapist, if I’m referring a client to someone else, but I also need to give them a website because it just connects everyone. So websites are definitely, I believe, important, even if it’s just one page. Just having it is better than nothing.

Becky Coplen: You said return on your investment and as I said, it just felt like there were lots of parts. And it looks like you’re providing therapy for the world. Obviously, you have your boundaries. But when you say the return on investment, did you do all the website design and all of that, or is that something where you did get support from a different company or app?

Jessica Jefferson: No, I did that all my own. It’s not the first version. I think that’s like version number six which I updated during COVID-19 times when I had a little bit more downtime. It took three months to flush it out. And that was way before ChatGPT was a thing. That, unfortunately, is all me. But again it’s been a good return on my investment.

Becky Coplen: No, that’s amazing. Those are great skills. Because sometimes we talk to a lot of therapists. You know they’re great at being a therapist. But to do design and all of that they don’t. So that’s. Oh, you’re a woman of many talents. I know you mentioned it on your website and you alluded that you just want people to feel like they’re having a cup of coffee with you. You want them to be comfortable. It’s not like some serious professional that they don’t want to open up to. Outside of making people feel very comfortable, what are some strategies that you feel have been successful with clients? You could pick whatever issue you want, maybe anxiety, but what types of things are you using to help them?

Jessica Jefferson: That’s a great question. You know, one of the biggest things when I’m doing a consultation call, that’s. Been. I guess a complaint about previous therapists is not being able to provide tools that they can do outside of sessions. So for me, having some form of homework for my clients is very important because I want them to feel like they’re moving forward. Even if they don’t do their homework, it’s something like we discuss, like what’s gotten in the way of doing that so that we can figure out what the root cause is. So for them to have a tool or an exercise to do outside of session has been something that I’ve heard from a lot of clients that they crave in a therapist and something that. My clients appreciate it so that they can see maybe the issue in a different light.

Becky Coplen: Good, I feel like if you go, do you usually see clients once a week or more bi-weekly, or just depend?

Jessica Jefferson: It depends. You know, I tell my clients I like to start off weekly but as things start to progress and get better, I’ll reduce them down to every other week. And once they’re in a good space, once a month.   I’m not trying to keep them until their kids are 18. I’m really trying to get them back into their lives so that they can utilize that hour for something that they feel going to be just as fulfilling.

Becky Coplen: I think it’s important to have that touchpoint between sessions to keep people focused. Because I feel like when you’re in a meeting, in a session, you’re just so like, oh, yes, I’m doing this. I’m excited.   this is going to work. It’s going to help me. Then it’s so easily forgotten when you’re back in doing real life.

Jessica Jefferson: The real life is the hard part.

Becky Coplen: This is just like the practice. Talk about it. What would you share? You said you sometimes are helping new therapists or counselors. What would be some things you would want them to know if they’re in the middle of their master’s program or considering beginning their own practice?

Jessica Jefferson: One of the biggest lessons that I think I’ve learned in my practice, and something that I try to keep focus on is I don’t want anyone else to determine my worth. I think especially as students in the master’s program or someone entering into private practice, you got to determine what your worth is and not let anyone else steer you in the wrong direction. It is a little tricky because I think that as a field where we provide empathy and understanding, a lot of the times we might lessen our value to help someone else. While that’s nice and great, you know you’re still not taking into consideration the impact that it has on you Then the impact that it has on other clients that you’re seeing. So even if you know, you see a client or you’re talking to another therapist, understand that, you’re worth and like not letting anyone else impact that. I think another issue that I see a lot with other therapists in private practice is the comparison. Well, they’re doing this, so maybe I should do that. Again, it’s about what feels genuine and authentic to you and really what you can put on your plate. Because not every therapist has time to do social media or not. Every therapist has time to do their own billing. So you got to understand what you have to give and maybe what things you should give away.

Becky Coplen: Great advice for sure. And I think in all fields. Right. People are often comparing and it’s just not a healthy thing to get into. You’ve talked about you know discussing with other counselors and therapists.   do you make space for networking and or going to conferences to connect since you are in your own practice? How does that work for you?

Jessica Jefferson: I’m in a fortunate position where I and a colleague, run quarterly networking events. So that’s something that I get to do in order to connect with other therapists. You know, if I, if I have the time in my schedule to do a network, like to go to a networking event, I’ll do it. I think that having an understanding of what’s out there is important.   because I think it’s it’s going to get you that Rolodex of people to refer to that are potentially going to refer to you as well. Also to learn what’s new in the field, and the educational component. Training has been a little bit more tricky. But it is on my plan to hopefully, maybe go to New York to do the Esther Perel training. But again, it’s tricky with the kids and the practice. I try to book it out as, as early in advance as I can so that I can make time for those things as well.

Becky Coplen: Well, good to know. I love that quarterly. Did you say quarterly meetings at the conferences?

Jessica Jefferson: Quarterly networking events.

Becky Coplen: Of course. Awesome. I love that. Very important, especially if you’re working on your own.

Jessica Jefferson: It’s very lonely, it’s very lonely.

Becky Coplen: We all need help, sometimes with certain clients in cases you’re, you just don’t know what you’re going to run into as the world keeps changing new things all the time well, we want to be sensitive to your time today. Thank you so much for joining us in sharing about your practice. I would say to our listeners, check out her website for sure, which let me I was on there, oh, cloud zeroninetherapy.com. So if you want website inspiration, for sure do that. But thanks for being with us today Jessica.

Jessica Jefferson: Thank you so much, I appreciate it.

Becky Coplen: We’re so glad to hear from you, and to our listeners, please leave us a comment on your thoughts. Check out many of our other episodes and join us again as we continue discussing the world of mental health and therapy, the business side, and all of those things on Mastering Counseling. Have a wonderful day. You’ve been listening to the Mastering Counseling podcast by mastersincounseling.org. Join us again next episode as we explore what it takes to be a business success in the counseling industry.