Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Debbie Jason. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Debbie, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Treating mental health disorders that result from trauma can be messy. After years of training and working across different treatment settings from residential treatment centers to outpatient clinics to acute inpatient wards, I realized the diverse impacts that trauma has on mental health. When looking at local clinics, I soon realized that mental health was missing the specialized clinics that medical doctors have been offering for years. I knew that Trauma Therapy CA was needed, but I was risk averse and it was the height of the Covid era. Friends and family told me I was crazy to start something “so niche” at such an uncertain time. And my fears believed them. At first.

But I continued hearing from clients who were unsure if their therapist had the right skill set to treat them. Some even had experiences of therapy as unhelpful or invalidating. This can be particularly worrisome for clients with complex trauma, some of whom feel beyond help or have trouble trusting due to past hurts. Often I heard clients state that they wanted to find therapists who could help them get to the root cause and re-wire how they thought about emotions and relationships. Once, an 18 year old who had already been to 5 different therapists sat in the office with tears in his eyes, sobbing that “finally, someone understands and I really was so done talking.” It was this need coupled with my passion for treating trauma with the individualized and complex touch required that ultimately pushed to start Trauma Therapy CA. Despite the doubts, the need spoke for itself and the need was significant! For me, significant need coupled with passion drove away my fears. It was my clients, inadvertently, that drove me to take the risk. While afraid, I chose to ignore the people telling me I was “crazy” and, ironically, open this niche mental health clinic. Because people suffering from the impacts of trauma need therapists that know how to go deep and balance the complexity to allow for true healing. At Trauma Therapy CA, we continue to search for and train therapists who are committed to helping heal trauma and armed with the skills needed to enact true change. 

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Trauma Therapy CA is a premier mental health clinic focused on treating symptoms of trauma including stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders. We specialize in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). CBT, EMDR and DBT are evidence-based therapeutic talk therapies that have proven to be effective to treat PTSD, anxiety and mood disorders, substance use disorders, personality disorders and other trauma symptoms. In many cases, CBT & DBT have proven to be more effective than other forms of therapy and even psychiatric medications. We are here to help you grow from struggles, heal from pain, and step forward into your life.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Consistency is key. I find that always doing the little things to go above and beyond, getting creative and constantly showing up for clients goes a long way. The best way we have built our clientele is through word of mouth. And people speak to others about therapy only when it is extraordinarily helpful.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

There are so many unteachable skills. Non-judgement and passion are two of them. When hiring therapists, we consider personal experience and a growth mindset as much, if not more, than acquired skills.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.traumatherapyca.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Trauma-Therapy-CA-100069340592116/?paipv=0&eav=AfaOICc0VD6iTCL8XrcWPS6twX3eJCHAqx0z4WfCL-YqYYfNb_NDYWTFVugaCTKrc20&_rdr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-jason/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqNg0A02P90