We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jake Myers a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jake , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.
There are some moments in life that might seem like the worst things in the world to happen to your professional career, but end up being the best. For me, this was the Covid-19 pandemic. When Covid hit, it seemed like it might be the end of psychotherapy. After all, I was used to driving into my office day after day to meet clients face-to-face for individual and couples therapy. When offices were closed around the country, this seemed like the end-of-days for my career. Instead, the landscape simply evolved, and people began doing online therapy. At first, it seemed like a temporary fix; a band-aid to hold us over until things opened up again. However, what became apparent rather quickly was that not only was nothing being lost in doing sessions online, but in fact, a lot was being gained. Clients no longer had to fight traffic, parking issues, share a waiting room with other people, risk breaching confidentiality, and have to carve multiple hours out of their schedule to make it to one appointment. Many even felt more comfortable opening up, in the comfort of their own spaces. This innovation allowed me to expand the reach of online therapy even more to a specific population that needs it the most, the LGBTQ population. Thus, out of this dark time, my company was born: LGBTQTherapySpace.com
Jake , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
LGBTQTherapySpace.com is the first national platform for tele-therapy, for and by the LGBTQ community. We help clients find an LGBTQ therapist for online therapy that will truly and authentically understand their experience, and provide a safe space for counseling. At LGBTQ Therapy Space, we will take the work out of the process of finding a therapist, by matching you with who we think will be the best fit for you in your state, based on your answers to our questionnaire. We then provide a free consultation so you can get to know your therapist, and see if they feel like the right fit for you. We then provide a secure platform for therapy sessions from the comfort of your own home, including billing and scheduling services. For therapists, we are a service to help them grow their private practice with LGBTQ clients, and provide various administrative needs.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
What is most helpful for succeeding in my field is having a personal investment in what you are doing. For me, if I was just out to make money, it wouldn’t be enough of a motivation to keep going forward and growing through the hard times. Instead, I am very personally invested in helping other queer and LGBTQ individuals get the help they need, because my own experience of finally meeting with a gay therapist truly changed my life. By helping others heal, and changing the discourse on what it means to be gay to through the lens of acceptance, I am working to also heal my own wounds. It’s so important for LGBTQ people to learn to love and accept themselves, and I know personally what it feels like to be on that journey. Having this personal connection to the meaning behind my business is what keeps me moving forward towards success.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Before I became a psychotherapist, I was in marketing in the entertainment industry. Working at a Hollywood studio had lots of excitement in the beginning, but I began to realize that just because something was packaged nicely on the outside, it doesn’t mean it’s in line with my authentic self. I started feeling like my job was draining and uninspiring, and I ultimately realized I didn’t have a personal connection or passion towards marketing. I quit my job and went back to grad school to pursue something I felt I had an intuitive passion and talent for: understanding how people think and feel and how to help them. People told me I was crazy, because the Great Recession had just happened when I decided to voluntarily quit my job, when others were fearful of losing theirs. Despite that, I knew i needed to follow my true path.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lgbtqtherapyspace.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lgbtqtherapyspace/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LGBTQTherapySpace
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lgbtqtherapyspace/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LGBTQTherapySp