We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jared Washington. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jared below.

Jared, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

The mission of my business Healing Outreach Purpose Empowerment LLC is “To create a space of healing for individuals and communities who have been hindered mentally and emotionally by traumatic experiences. We will assist individuals and communities in finding purpose and using that to empower and liberate themselves.”

The story behind my mission is when I first learned about the story of Marcus Garvey. I was a 19 year old undergraduate student. I was taking an elective course called The Black Power Years. I remember after watching the documentary on Marcus Garvey saying to myself “This man had the biggest movement in African American history and I never heard of him.” From that point, I went to the library and checked out almost a dozen books on Black History and picked up the minor African American studies shortly after. This began my journey of my Black Identity and liberation.

Furthermore, I also was a psychology major during my undergraduate studies and continued to obtain my Masters of Art in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. During my time in graduate school I learned about trauma and it how it impacts individuals in so many ways. I then began to wonder how trauma specifically impacts Black people and the Community which led me to study and eventually write a book about Intergenerational Trauma and its impact on the Black Community.

To bring it full circle, I was always passionate about Black people and the Community and by trade and purpose I help individuals during their healing journey. This all plays into my mission of creating a space of healing for people of color, more specifically Black people, because of our history of trauma in this country and in this world. To add to that healing I aim to help my clients who identify as Black find peace in their healing journey as well as empower them to liberate themselves mentally and emotionally,

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?

I am Jared Washington a Licensed Professional Counselor and CEO/Founder of my private practice Healing Outreach Purpose Empowerment LLC. I am originally from Roselle, New Jersey but currently reside and practice in Atlanta, GA. I graduated with my Bachelors in Psychology with a minor in African American Studies and my Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I am currently a PhD student studying Counselor Education and Supervision at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. I currently serve clients struggling with various mental illness’s such as depression, anxiety, trauma, mens issues, and racial trauma.

I got into the Mental Health field by being pushed spiritually in this direction. I truly believe it is my purpose in life to help individuals find what healing means to them and to explore that journey to true mental and emotional liberation. I tried multiple times to go into different fields and areas of practice, however I always found my way back to mental health. My journey was rocky but definitely rewarding. I worked in various settings that contributed to my knowledge and skills set that I utilize with my current clients. I have worked a psychiatric hospital, county jail, foster care agency, and insurance company all as a therapist serving underserved populations. I typically help my clients solve the major and minor problems in their lives by exploring how their past has influenced their current thinking patterns that may contribute to uncomfortable feelings and unhealthy behaviors.

There are many therapists in the Mental Health field and many who provide outstanding services to the community. I believe what sets me a part is not only my passion to serve but also my knowledge and skills set. I have done extensive research on how to treat and help my clients. But most importantly, I have experienced my own set of traumatic experiences that helps me be able to display true empathy when working with individuals. The last thing that sets me a part from other therapists in the Mental Health field is that I am a Black male which is rare to find in the field. Many times I hear from clients “It’s so hard to find a Black Male therapist I didn’t think you all exist.”

One of the things I am most proud of at the current moment is becoming an author and writing my first book entitled “Heal or Repeat: Breaking the Cycle of Intergenerational Trauma.” I am most proud of this accomplishment because I come from humble beginnings and never would have thought that I would have accomplished such a feat. I am proud that I was able to sit down and conduct the research and share not only my knowledge on the subject but also my experiences within the book that relates to the topic.

I want potential clients, followers, and future collaborators to know that although I have accomplished many things, I am down to earth and easy going and fun to work with. As stated before, I enjoy helping individuals on their healing journey and educating the community on different topics in Mental Health. I believe that change is possible but it starts with us. Lastly, I would like others to know that success is what you make it. Believe in yourself and believe that you can accomplish anything you put your mind too.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

When I decided to start my Private Practice and finally become my own Manager/Supervisor I knew that I didn’t have the funds to do it on my own. I had to humble myself and ask my village and followers on my social media handles to donate. I thoroughly explained what I was trying to do and the goals I had for myself and my upcoming business. I posted a caption where I asked for donations of a $1 from each of my followers. At first, I was a little embarrassed but realized that in order for me to get things started I had to ask for help. In 2 days I was able to raise $2,000 where I was able to cover all of my start up costs for my business. Furthermore, the job that I was currently working I changed my perspective on how I viewed it. I started to view my job as my Business Partner and used parts of my salary to sustain my business until I was able to take the leap of faith and work my business full time.

Does your business have multiple or supplementary revenue streams (like a ATM machine at a barbershop, etc)?

My business has multiple revenue streams. First, my business is a Mental Health Private Practice where I provide therapy services to individuals. I am the business so I also provide continuing education courses on the topic of Intergenerational Trauma to other clinicians in the field. I also do speaking engagements to agencies and colleges/universities as well. My last stream of income from my business is my book “Heal or Repeat: Breaking the Cycle of Intergenerational Trauma.”

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jwhopeservices.com
• Instagram: @J.washington.hope
• Linkedin: Jared Washington

Image Credits
Darryl Humphries @Gfatherproducer