Today we’d like to introduce you to Kezia Jackson.
Hi Kezia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I founded Healing Spaces Psychological Services after years of working in community mental health. I loved the work that I did through various agencies and had the goal to create a safe space for clients, one that prioritizes diversity and inclusion and incorporates the whole person into conceptualization and treatment. our official statement is, “At Healing Spaces we strive to support and uplift clients in their journey to improve their mental and emotional wellbeing by creating a safe, therapeutic, healing space.”
To be honest, I also realized I could do the work I was doing for others, for myself. I never envisioned myself going into private practice while I was in graduate school, but I could not have been happier with the choice to do so now. I initially started off doing part-time private practice and officially transitioned into full-time practice in November 2019.
I have learned a lot since deciding to open my practice, and I know there is so much for me to learn. At the end of the day, I love what I do and am happy to serve the greater St. Louis.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I was trained to be a Clinical Psychologist, not to be a business manager, accountant, or marketing agent. There was definitely a learning curve regarding the business aspect of private practice. In addition, I went into full-time private practice just months before the COVID-19 pandemic. With most business, navigating operating a successful business in the pandemic was challenging, and we had to quickly switch to learning and using telehealth services to meet the needs of our clients in a safe manner.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Healing Spaces is a private psychology practice. At Healing Spaces we strive to support and uplift clients in their journey to improve their mental and emotional wellbeing by creating a safe, therapeutic, healing space.
I, the owner, am a Clinical Psychologist. I specialize in provide psychological assessment and evaluation services. In addition, my therapeutic work involves working with children and families, particularly clients with behavioral difficulties and emotional dysregulation. I love working with caregivers and parents!
Over the course of the last few months, I have employed a staff therapist and we also have psychological interns to help provide a wide array of services to the St. Louis community, particularly to those who are traditionally underserved.
We provide assessment and testing services, as well as individual, family and couples therapy. We have also plan to offer group therapy and parent training sessions in the future. Consultation is also available. In addition, though the practice generally does not accept insurance, our clinicians have fees to provide services to those from a variety of socioeconomic statuses. Additionally, I, Dr. Jackson accept Medicaid. At this time, we are offering free therapy to medical professionals and free intake services with our interns or supervised clinicians.
I am proud that the practice is owned and largely operated by Black women. We value diversity, equity and inclusion, and we seek to incorporate various aspects of the client’s identity into treatment. We will continue to offer telehealth services to be able to serve clients all over the state. Additionally, I am credentialed to provide telehealth services to those in in the following states: Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Alabama (06/01/2021), and Kentucky (06/29/21).
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I have found mentors in various places of employment and through my graduate training. I have also found mentorship and networking opportunities on various social media sites, like Facebook and in private groups. I have found it helpful to seek out spaces of like-minded individuals or individuals with similar cultural backgrounds and/or professional interests; this has helped me find networking and mentorship opportunities that are helpful to my professional and personal growth.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@healingspacesstl.com
- Website: www.healingspacesstl.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/healingspacesstl
- Facebook: facebook.com/healingspacesstl
