Influential Woman · Mental Health
Jaimee Beck
Founder; Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Prism Path Counseling
Fullerton, CA 92835
Her Story
About Jaimee
I didn't always know I wanted to be a therapist. In a past life, I was a proofreader, and I ended up at a company that creates psychological assessments. I was proofreading those assessments when I fell in love with psychology and decided to go to grad school to become a therapist. I really just fell into it. After graduating from my master's program in 2020, I spent about 4 years working toward getting licensed, which was a long process but incredibly rewarding. During that time, I hopped around between various dual diagnosis inpatient settings and community mental health settings as a clinician, and then worked as a licensed clinician at a nonprofit. About 4 months ago, I opened my own private practice, Prism Path Counseling, because I wanted to create a really welcoming space where I could provide a sense of safety and comfort for the clientele that I serve. I primarily support individuals in the LGBTQ plus community and neurodivergent clients, focusing heavily on helping clients with anxiety, depression, and traumatic experiences. Day-to-day, I mostly do sessions with clients, which is the part of the job I absolutely love. I'm currently working from home but looking into getting an office. Within my work, I always take on a number of sliding scale clients and offer my services at a low rate to a certain number of my clients so that I can connect with the community, especially since the LGBTQ plus community tends to, on average, have a lower income rate.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jaimee
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Typically, the first thing I'll recommend is that they do therapy themselves because it is a long journey and it requires a lot of patience with yourself. It can highlight internal challenges that you struggle with, and to be an effective clinician, you have to learn how to manage that for yourself. I also think it is immensely beneficial to see what it's like to be the client in that space, how hard it is to be vulnerable in that way, and to show up week after week and work on those challenges. I would also recommend some type of mindfuless practice. That could be meditation, yoga, or even a mindful walk, something that helps you to be in touch with your body. It's important to understand what's happening internally for you, so you can pick up on what's happening internally for your clients. Additionally, bear in mind that not all spaces will be the right fit for you. You might prefer dual diagnosis, the nonprofit space, community mental health, or private practice, and it's just about finding the right fit for each person.
02What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge at the moment is definitely insurance. Navigating insurance is very time-consuming, but I have found some really great resources that help to make it manageable. It just requires a lot of patience more than anything, as it is rather tedious. Insurance can also get in the way of providing my clients the care that I think they really need. On several occasions, I have had to advocate on behalf of my clients with their insurance companies to provide the care that they need. But that's all part of the admin work, and the reason why clear documentation is very important.
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