Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Jakobsze, MS, LPC, NCC, CCTP.
Hi Catherine, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Surprisingly, I almost always knew what I wanted to do as a career. I can remember as early as high school wanting to be a counselor to help people, specifically with trauma. Counselors’ journeys are so often inspired by their own lives, and I am no different in that regard. In high school, I dreamed about the day I would start my own practice and teach at the collegiate level.
I began my college studies in New York, where I played Division II basketball. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), an injury that terminated my basketball career led to a momentum-changing decision to finish my BA in Psychology and complete my MS in Mental Health Counseling at Monmouth University, right here in my home state of New Jersey. After completing my master’s program, I dove right into the workforce, where I was graciously offered a position straight out of my internship. I initially started my career working primarily with substance abuse, but I quickly branched out.
The personal and professional aspects of my life reached a new level when I traveled to India in 2020. It was there I learned invaluable life lessons about myself, others, and culture that I incorporate into my daily practice. In 2023, I achieved my adolescent dream of teaching psychology at several community colleges throughout New Jersey, while also opening my own private practice, Authentic Life Counseling. I am currently continuing my professional development by enrolling in an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) program, which will allow me to clinically supervise other associate counselors later this year. Additionally, I stay connected to other psychotherapists in the field by facilitating my alma mater’s monthly Peer Consultation Group.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As sadly too many of us can relate to, I encountered many struggles along the way to where I am today. I faced countless challenges throughout my life, from growing up in a single mother/lower socioeconomic household, to struggling for nearly 20 years with a chronic illness. To become a successful educator, psychotherapist, and business owner, I needed to work on my own mental and physical healing before I could effectively support anyone else. Although it is tremendously difficult to navigate my own disability, the tenacity and resiliency modeled to me by my mother have kept me striving for my dreams.
During my career, I also learned a great deal about what not to do as a therapist and business owner. I (naively) anticipated all counseling businesses and employers would act in accordance with the standards our field demands. Instead, I witnessed unscrupulous behavior first-hand. These trying circumstances inspired my decision to pursue my own business. I redirected my attention from what is outside of my control to what is within my control. This paradigm shift changed my focus to advancing quality, affordable mental healthcare while refusing to be corrupted.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Fast forward to now as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), I have worked in nearly every level of mental health care, including residential, outpatient, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, community-based, and private practice. I gained invaluable clinical experience working with a plethora of populations, including adolescents, emerging adults, and adults experiencing mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, personality disorders, gambling disorder and other behavioral addictions, trauma, including vicarious trauma and burnout, non-suicidal self-injury, chronic illness, sexual dysfunction, as well as BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ populations.
Throughout my career as a board-certified counselor and an educator, I have come to learn the importance of integrating cultural humility into my practice. My time in India not only shaped me personally, but it also molded my therapeutic style. Traveling to India initiated my realization of the importance of treating each individual as the unique person they are. It’s also where I began learning about the importance of justice, equity, and inclusiveness.
I pride myself on allowing clients to be authentically themselves in session. Yes, this means my clients don’t have to code-switch or put on a mask in session with me. Although my therapeutic approach is client-centered, I recognize the necessity to draw from a diverse, evidence-based toolkit. Incorporating each individual’s unique background into their treatment is crucial to successful therapeutic outcomes. Moreover, furthering my education beyond the minimum required for licensing each year is a vital part of my practice. Frequent participation in continuing education expands my clinical skills and knowledge, enabling me to adapt treatment to fit each client’s individual needs.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Viktor Frankl’s work, especially A Man’s Search for Meaning, has been fundamental in my career. In A Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl recalls his time in concentration camps in Nazi Germany. In the midst of his work, he was captured and taken to four separate camps between 1942 and 1945. Frankl’s own theory, Logotherapy, is rooted in the belief that suffering is a normal human condition and that overcoming it requires finding meaning and purpose in it. These overarching themes are the foundation of my practice.
To stay as informed as possible, I keep up to date with several peer-reviewed journals, such as the European Journal of Psychotraumatology, Frontiers in Psychiatry, and JAMA Psychiatry. Access to care is also a top priority of mine. Thankfully, modern technology helps provide access to care that might not otherwise be available. The following are some of my favorite free apps:
• ADHD-friendly: Finch, Fetch, Habitica, Roubit, Sweepy (offers free and paid versions)
• Journaling and prompts: MindDoc
• Meditation: Calm, Headspace
• Trauma-based: CPT Coach
I also utilize the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) (https://www.nctsn.org) and the VA National Center for PTSD (https://www.ptsd.va.gov) for free resources, trainings, webinars, and assessments.
Lastly, my favorite organizations to work with that provide free or low-cost mental health care include:
• UWill (https://uwill.com) provides free counseling to all currently enrolled college students.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (https://naminj.org/resources) provides free mental health support groups.
• Mental Health Association in New Jersey (https://www.mhanj.org) provides a range of mental health services.
• Birches Health (https://bircheshealth.com) provides affordable Teletherapy for gambling disorders and other process addictions, such as video games and pornography addiction.
Pricing:
- I am in-network with the following insurance companies: Aetna, Cigna, Carealon, BCBS
- Self-pay pricing: $165 individual session $200 family/couples session
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.authentic-life-counseling.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathyjakobsze
