Check Out Jasmine Chesson’s Story

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Jasmine Chesson.

Hi Jasmine, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Well, it all started in my 2nd-grade classroom when I became passionate about helping my classmates resolve their grievances with each other. I loved hearing everyone’s perspective and could easily find a resolution. After receiving positive feedback from my 2nd-grade teacher about my gift of diplomacy, the seed of my interest in the world of psychology was planted.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Spelman College in 2012. After college, I worked in community mental health at different agencies across Atlanta, GA, to gain experience in the mental health field. 2015, I began volunteering at Chesapeake Integrated Behavioral Health in Chesapeake, VA. While there, I helped manage the Telepsych department and had the opportunity to learn from a brilliant psychiatric nurse practitioner.

Although I was at Chesapeake Integrated Behavioral Health for only six months, I made the most of the time there and received a Volunteer of the Month award for outstanding service. Working in the Telepsych unit taught me that virtual psychiatry/therapy can be as meaningful as in-person psychiatry/therapy. This realization eventually led to me starting my virtual practice, Prosper Counseling PLLC, in 2021.

I moved to Colorado Springs, CO 2015, and worked at a local community mental health center. While working at this community mental health center, I co-facilitated groups, developed programs, and met with hundreds of clients over six years. During this time, I also volunteered with a suicide hotline for LGBTQIA youth.

I graduated from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs in 2020 with a master’s in clinical mental health counseling. I continued working at a community mental health center after graduating. Throughout 2021, I facilitated Unconscious Bias and Emotional Intelligence training for almost 100 employees and leadership team members at companies in Fountain, Colorado, and Aurora, Colorado.

I reside in North Carolina with my wife, amazing bonus son, and cuddly dachshund, Rhetta. Although I now live in North Carolina, I continue to see my clients who live all across the colorful state of Colorado and visit the state at least twice per year.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It most certainly has not been a smooth road. The road to becoming a therapist is filled with long days, obtaining certifications, and hours and hours worth of school work and internships.

While the road hasn’t been easy, it has been very rewarding. Every role I’ve had in the mental health field, whether paid or volunteer, prepared me for graduate school and my current role as a board-certified, licensed therapist and practice owner.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in helping people get out of their way to live the life they were truly meant to live. I am known for my “empathetic with a hint of telling it like it is” style that allows my clients to feel safe expressing their truth while being challenged to overcome limiting beliefs to step into the life they want and deserve.

I am most proud of my ability to help clients tap into potential they did not know existed. My favorite thing in the world is watching my clients achieve the things they thought they couldn’t and obtain the internal peace that they’ve been craving throughout their lives. I am a mover, shaker, visionary, and a woman of integrity. All of these things bleed into the work that I do with my clients.

Shortly after working with me, my clients find out that they too can be a mover and shaker, visionary, and person of integrity in their own corner of the world. I believe that we all hold special gifts, talents, and abilities. No gift or talent is too big or too small. My goal is for every client that enters the virtual space of Prosper Counseling, to leave feeling like the warrior they were always meant to be.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the COVID-19 crisis?
I learned that the show must go on even when there are challenges. I also learned that every experience I’ve ever had matters.

While a lot of my colleagues were feeling stressed out about having virtual sessions, I was at ease due to my time volunteering in the Telepsych Unit at Chesapeake Integrated Behavioral Health and with the Trevor Project (a virtual suicide hotline for LGBTQIA+ youth). I was already aware of how effective teletherapy could be. The Covid-10 crisis taught me the importance of trusting myself and my experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: prospercounseling.org