We recently connected with Dyamond Jackson and have shared our conversation below.

Dyamond, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

I was fresh out of graduate school and looking to finally get my first big kid job and I applied to all of the well known community mental health agencies in the city of Los Angeles, CA. I was ready to finally be financially stable and have a career like all of my friends who did not get their Masters Degree. My goal was to get a decent paying salary with good benefits where I could practice my skills as a new therapist. I had many interviews but was not having any luck securing a job as they wanted someone that was more experienced and bilingual for the entry level positions where being bilingual was optional. So I ended up applying for jobs and relocating to Sacramento where there was no requirement to be bilingual and thats where I go my first job. I was very happy with where I ended up so I like to think that it was where I was supposed to end up.

Dyamond, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

At 17 years old, I knew I wanted to be a therapist the moment I understood what a therapist truly was. What drew me to the field were the people and getting to work so closely with others to assist them in becoming the best versions of themselves. I went to San Diego State and obtained my BA in psychology and then to Hope International to obtain my MA in marriage and family therapy. From there, I had years of experience in a variety of settings, including but not limited to community mental health, schools, and private practice. I have also worked with an array of demographics and cultures. Being a witness to so many of my clients growing and thriving is the motivation that continues to keep me on this same path today. My approach to therapy is client-centered and humanistic, with integrated, evidence-based interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy and EMDR. I tend to pull from a variety of modalities so that I can tailor your therapeutic journey to better fit your individual needs and goals. Working with me is very casual yet structured; I will challenge you to explore conscious and unconscious aspects of your life to assist you in meeting your full potential so that you can live a prosperous and joyous life. If you are interested in working with me, I would suggest a consultation first to see if we are a good match for each other. It is so important to feel as though the relationship is a good match because that makes for the best outcomes for you. After the consultation, we will work collaboratively to develop goals and schedule a time to meet on a consistent basis.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

March 2020 was a difficult time for a lot of people. Having a business that was solely around meeting with people in person in close proximity definitely presented with some challenges. I was able to pivot and operate my practice completely remote. I did lose about half of my caseload when I transitioned to virtual therapy but I was able to get those spots filled rather quickly due to the state of the world. It was a significant change but switching over to virtual therapy has been very helpful for me and has continued to be the way that I see my clients still to this day.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start?

As I worked under another practice as an independent contractor I saved a lot of money to assist with paying my taxes every year. Out of the money that I saved I used some of that to start my business and declared it as “business expenses”. I networked and consulted with peers about the costs that it would take to start my business and as soon as I had that amount plus a little extra I pulled the plug to get started.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.handhpsychotherapy.com