Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jean Ricks-Ayer, LPC . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Jean , thanks for joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

Absolutely. Before I worked as a therapist and healing practitioner, I worked in retail operations leadership and before that, restaurant and hospitality leadership. While I loved working with people, and had a passion for leadership, my ultimate focus was getting to the top–to a position with a title and a paycheck that I believed represented success and achievement. I started working when I was 15 and at 25 was proud to be a restaurant manager; at 30, to finally have that title and paycheck that felt like success, at a company that I really loved and believed in. On my path to that position, I truly believed that once I got there, I’d fell fulfilled, be happy. and be free to start living my life. What I found, was that I was chained to my job, which meant that I was far from free, I didn’t have many meaningful relationships, I wasn’t taking care of myself emotionally, mentally, nor physically, and I did not feel successful; I felt empty, insecure, and unsure of who I was. After six years, I walked away. I left financial security, great benefits, a company I could grow with, and my team members–the people who had become family, and I really loved and cared about. I didn’t know what I was going to do next. I had the privilege and means to spend a year in a bit of an identity crisis and explore who I am, what matters to me, and what I feel really passionate about. I spent that year redefining success. Ultimately, I landed back in college 12 years after my undergraduate education, and pursuing mental health counseling because what I found, is that for me, success means living a live anchored in passion, purpose, and authenticity.

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?

While graduate school started me on a path to people on their healing journeys, I knew I wanted to more than was offered in a traditional therapy setting. I began exploring helping and healing modalities that support a whole person, mind, body, and spirit. I found myself learning about internal family systems, somatic experiencing, and energy healing. Now, it feels like “therapist” or “professional counselor” don’t adequately represent the work I do or the experience I offer people on their healing journeys. I also don’t resonate with “healer” as I truly believe we all have within in ourselves what is needed for healing. I consider myself a guide to and facilitator of healing. Professionally, I refer to myself as a depth-oriented, integrative therapist and alternative healing practitioner. In my work, I aim to connect individuals to their most authentic self, through increased awareness and understanding of who they are. Through this awareness, the hope (and frequent outcome) is for individuals to find increased capacity to hold their lived experiences and stories, understanding they are greater than the traumas and narratives that have kept their true self small and quiet, ultimately allowing them to move through the world with a freer, clearer, more confident experience.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Doing your own internal discovery work! By doing the work to understand what drives both confidence and fear in my system, I am able to show up more confidently and more vulnerably for myself, my clients, and my colleagues. Because of my own healing work and continuous curiosity about my past and present lived experiences, I have more space for genuine connection, authentic interactions, and the ability to lead from intuitive knowing. This, I believe, supports the ability for others feel safe in my presence; ultimately, lending to long lasting therapeutic relationships, and really beautiful healing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jeanricksayer.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanricksayerlpc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556779254453
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-ricks-ayer-m-ed-lpc-10b01a125/

Image Credits
Photos of me by Rikki Lauren Photography Office photos are by me, Jean Ricks-Ayer