Stefanie Jackson, LMFT
Stefanie Jackson, LMFT is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a career-long commitment to mental health, specializing in helping couples and individuals strengthen relationships, heal emotional wounds, and cultivate lasting intimacy. She is the founder and Executive Divine Mind Therapist at Divine Mind Therapeutics LLC, serving clients across Georgia, Virginia, and Florida. Stefanie creates a safe, judgment-free environment where partners of all dynamics, including monogamous, polyamorous, and kink-aware couples, can improve communication, rebuild trust, and deepen emotional connection. Stefanie began her professional journey in 2015 after earning her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Valdosta State University. She first worked as a paraprofessional at a startup agency in Georgia, then joined Strategic Therapy Associates in Danville, Virginia in 2016, providing intensive in-home therapy for four years. She became a licensed therapist in Virginia in March 2020. Guided by her philosophy of leaving every space better than she found it, Stefanie incorporated therapeutic art into her sessions, enhancing the environment for her clients and fostering creativity as a tool for growth. In 2021, Stefanie launched Divine Mind Therapeutics, investing her own resources to create a self-pay practice that reflects the true value of quality therapy. She is expanding her services to corporate wellness through her Fortify the Corporate Mental Wealth system and provides group programs for seniors, including her signature Sip 'N' GroupChat tea parties. Recently completing the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, Stefanie is rebranding Divine Mind Therapeutics to integrate her Emotional Luxury Framework and Luxury Mindset, bringing elevated, intentional care to mental health. Through her work, she empowers clients and colleagues to embrace emotional resilience, intentional relationships, and personal growth.
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
• Valdosta State University - MFT
• Fort Valley State University - BA, Psych
• Founder of a boutique practice (Divine Mind Therapeutics)
• AAMFT (American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy)
• Participant, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses
• Senior Facility
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my relentless pursuit of my goals and my belief in creating my own opportunities. I was relentless in pursuing my hours and making sure I could sit for my licensing exam - I stayed with an organization for all four years even when the job would push me and bring me to tears because I knew it was a temporary experience and I didn't want the hassle of switching. I also believe strongly in the law of attraction - you gotta put out what you want back. I had the desire to serve, so I went out and found people to serve when I didn't have a lot of clients. I invested $10,000 of my savings into the therapy practice accelerator program because I knew I could do this myself and cut out the middleman. I made my practice self-pay from the very beginning, even though people told me I couldn't, because I believe clinicians need to know their worth is more than $42,000 a year. I'm an innovator - I'm always thinking about how we can make things better. They told me I'd cap out at $75,000 or $90,000, but I know Divine Mind Therapeutics will be global and a multi-million dollar practice.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women entering this field to be yourself - whoever that is, whatever that is, be yourself. Understand that not everybody is for you, we can't save everybody, and we are not here to save anybody really. We are here to guide people back to themselves, to come back to an understanding of how powerful creators they really are. I also want therapists to know that you are of value. Understand your worth - what we do is change lives, help people change their lives, and when they change their lives, they change the future. Don't buy into the narrative that if you have a heart, you can't be about money. Money helps! There's nothing wrong with being paid what you're worth. Especially as Black clinicians, don't believe that you have to take insurance to make money - that's not true. Stay focused internally and understand that all the stuff that's going on is really a non-factor. Also, learn to negotiate your salary - women don't negotiate because we don't know that we should, but you can and you should leverage your worth.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in the mental health field is therapists feeling valued. While mental health is becoming more apparent and people are utilizing therapy more, they still come with apprehension and wait a very, very long time before they actually seek help. Especially for people in relationships, they've gotten so hurt that they're almost out the door by the time they come to therapy, so it makes the work even more taxing and a heavier lift. For therapists to feel valued is really important - I started out making $42,000 a year, and I know I have the ability to reach higher heights doing it on my own. I want therapists to understand our worth. What we do is help people change their lives, and when they change their lives, they change the future. That's incredibly valuable work, and we need to be compensated accordingly.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are creating space, both literally and figuratively, and taking good care of myself. I'm very big on creating space - if you see my room, it is very decorative and colorful, and even on virtual calls, I've created a background that is comfortable and a safe space. I believe that when you look good, you feel good - I'm a very stylish lady and I like to get dressed. I work from home and I am dressed head to toe, everything is put together, because it makes me feel good and makes me feel like my best. I also value serving others and putting out what I want back - I believe in the law of attraction. I make sure to know the people in my life and what their strengths are so I can call on them and utilize their strengths to help me through whatever situation I might be going through. I value leaving places better than when I found them - wherever you go, leave that place better. I also value teamwork and being unified, which comes from being on teams my entire life. And I value staying focused internally and understanding that all the external stuff is really a non-factor.