Get to Know Me
Who is Jamaika?
I am a wife, mother of five (blended), daughter, friend, former collegiate athlete, domestic violence survivor, and an overcomer who has experienced firsthand the complexity of navigating life, relationships, identity, loss, transition, and healing. While these are all meaningful parts of who I am, one of the most important identities I hold is being a follower of Christ and a child of God. My faith has always been my North Star, the foundation of my values, my principles, and the way I approach both life and my work.
My story is deeply connected to the people I serve and the specialties I have chosen to walk in.
For much of my motherhood journey, I was a single mother. I have experienced domestic violence and have intentionally worked to become a chain breaker, choosing to break cycles of dysfunction and abuse in romantic relationships and within my family. I know what it means to recognize unhealthy patterns, find the courage to do something different, rebuild, and create something healthier for the generations that come after me.
I also grew up surrounded by elite athletes. I come from a family where athletic excellence reached collegiate and professional levels. I was a coach's daughter, coached by my own father, and grew up understanding what it meant to carry expectations, represent a family name, and feel the pressure to perform and live up to what others believed you could become.
Then I became the athlete.
My collegiate athletic journey came with its own trenches, navigating different coaching styles, transitions, the complexities of transferring from one Division I program to another, sitting out because of NCAA transfer rules, and finally reaching the point where I could compete again. Just as I was finding my footing, a knee injury changed the trajectory of my athletic career and ultimately took away the future in sport I had envisioned.
Suddenly, I had to figure out who I was outside of being an athlete.
I had to transition from being a college athlete to simply being a college student, and eventually into the real world—navigating relationships, motherhood, identity, purpose, and all of the unexpected transitions that life brings.
That story continued to unfold.
And while my experiences are not the same as yours, they have given me a deep appreciation for what it means to sit across from someone who is trying to navigate their own muddy waters.
I don't believe I have to have lived your exact story to walk alongside you. I believe my story has taught me how to sit with people in theirs.
There is so much more to my story than what can fit on an About page. But perhaps the most meaningful part of my story is what I get to do with it now.
I have the privilege of walking alongside individuals who may be navigating circumstances that are similar to mine, completely different from mine, or somewhere in between. I get to support, encourage, educate, and empower you as you work through your own season of life.
Sometimes you may come to therapy feeling like you're stuck in the trenches. Sometimes the waters may feel muddy and you can't see clearly enough to know which direction to go. Sometimes you may simply be trying to figure out who you are, what you want, and where you go from here.
I want you to know that you don't have to navigate that season alone.
I believe there is light at the end of the tunnel. Clarity can come. Healing is possible. Growth is attainable. And sometimes, the season you've been praying would end is the very season preparing you to bloom.
It is a blessing to walk those trenches and muddy waters with each unique person I serve. Your story matters. Your healing matters. And I consider it an honor to be invited into that part of your journey.
You don't have to have it all figured out before you begin. You just have to be willing to take the next step to saying "peace out" to the patterns that no longer serve you.
Philosophy
My Therapy Philosophy
I believe therapy is not about fixing what is “wrong” with you. It is about creating a safe space to understand what you've experienced, recognize what has shaped you, and discover that your past does not have to determine your future.
I believe every person has a story, and that story deserves to be heard without judgment. While I may have experienced circumstances that are similar to some of the individuals I serve, I recognize that your story is uniquely yours. My role is not to tell you how to live your life or assume I know exactly what you need. My role is to walk alongside you, help you gain clarity, provide tools and perspective, and empower you to make informed choices about where you want to go next.
I believe healing requires both compassion and courage. Sometimes healing means processing what happened. Sometimes it means learning to set boundaries, break unhealthy cycles, rebuild your sense of identity, navigate a major transition, or learn to see yourself differently. And sometimes it means simply giving yourself permission to acknowledge that something hurt.
I also believe that growth does not require perfection. You can be resilient and still struggle. You can be strong and still need support. You can love someone and still need boundaries. You can experience success and still feel lost. You can be deeply faithful and still have questions, grief, fear, or pain.
My approach is grounded in the belief that you are more than what has happened to you, more than what you have accomplished, and more than the season you are currently experiencing.
For me, faith is foundational. As a follower of Christ, my faith shapes the values and principles I bring into my work. When clients desire faith-based counseling, I am honored to incorporate Christian faith into the therapeutic process. I believe there is hope even in difficult seasons and that healing can involve not only understanding where you have been, but discovering who you are becoming.
Ultimately, my philosophy is simple:
You don't have to navigate the trenches alone.
Whether you're working through trauma, navigating relationships, rebuilding after abuse, struggling with identity, transitioning out of a season of life, or carrying the pressure of being a high performer, I want therapy to be a place where you can slow down, breathe, gain clarity, and begin taking the next step.
I may not have lived your exact story, but I can walk alongside you as you navigate yours.
And I believe that sometimes the muddy waters don't disappear all at once. Sometimes, we simply learn how to navigate them until we can finally see the path ahead.
