Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmine West.
Hi Jasmine, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
When you look at your close inner circle, you’ll see everyone plays different roles. There is the person who makes you laugh, the person who is fun, the person who is a protector/nurturer. My role has always been the counselor or wise one. So it came as no surprise to my close friends and family that I became a social worker and psychotherapist.
Chicago, Illinois is what I refer to as my home of origin, but I was raised here on the eastside of Atlanta in Decatur/Lithonia. I grew up in the church, my parents were pastors of Stones of Faith Christian Church in Stone Mountain, Ga. I spent most of my childhood serving others. We often fed the homeless as a ministry and would host outreach events in the local communities with praise and worship, food, and games. I understood some of the socio-economic and mental health issues of the black community at an early age and became very fond of working with younger kids. In fact, my first part-time job at 14 years old was as a daycare assistant after school.
Education was of great value in my home and so I knew I was going to go to college and would graduate as a professional in something. I chose a small Christian college called Mars Hill College right outside of Asheville, NC. I had my heart set on becoming a Pediatrician. I enrolled in college as a biology major. But, after that first semester, I quickly realized that was not my area of strength. I decided to change my major to Social Work as that had become an area of interest to me due to some things that were happening back at home with in my family.
I went on to graduate with my Bachelor of Social Work in 2008. I spent that summer in Johannesburg, South Africa working as a missionary at an orphanage. I learned all about international adoptions during my time here as well as proper infant care as I worked 7a to 7p taking care of babies. After finishing my assignment there, I returned home to Atlanta and shortly thereafter started working as a Child Protection Investigator for DFCS. This was a great foundation to my career. I was able to work with all systems of my community such as the juvenile courts, schools, and hospitals.
I met my husband in 2009 and we married in 2011. We knew that at some point, we would like to start a family. I wanted to have a position in which I could make a decent salary while also having lots of flexibility to take care for my kids. I decided the only way to do that would be to go back for my Master’s degree.
In 2013 I enrolled into Clark Atlanta University School of Social Work program for my Masters. I completed the three years part-time program while continuing to work full time and graduated in May of 2016. The next year I received my provisional license for the state of GA as an LMSW and started working in a healthcare system as a medical social worker.
During my years there, I learned about travel social work and in 2019, I decided to take a leap in my career and travel. By this time, I was married with two kids, but my husband was super supportive. Travel social work is what helped to propel me in becoming clinically licensed. In 2020, I took the clinical exam through the ASWB and passed and became a licensed clinical social worker right before the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Once the Pandemic hit, I was forced to come off the road for a little bit while my kids were home due to their pre-school closing. During those months, I decided it was time for me to embark upon the journey of entrepreneurship so that I may have flexibility while being home with my kids. I opened my private practice Hope Stone Services LLC in August of 2020.
Long before I officially became a clinician, friends and family would come to me seeking advice on how to assist with behavioral and emotional regulation. Working with children and families as long as I have, you begin to witness people tied to the chains of their own thoughts and anxiety and how that in itself is like a prison. In life, we go through many experiences and situations, some amazing and some tough, but we don’t have to be imprisoned by it.
Hope Stone Services was created to help people build hope while strengthening mental endurance, so they could move through life experiences and not be easily overwhelmed with emotions that they struggle to regulate. Hope Stone Services aims for people to acknowledge pain, feel it, cope with it, and continue to move forward in a healthy way. I love that I get to do this everyday.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I had a love hate relationship with DFCS and would often quit to take a mental health break for several months and then return when I felt I could handle the stress associated with the position. During those couple of breaks, I’d work other odd jobs from being a waitress at Ruby Tuesday and a cigar bar to working at facilities with autism children. Those were some difficult times financially and at one point, I had to use my social work skills to find resources in my community to ensure there was food in my home by using local food pantries and receiving rental assistance from local charities.
Another challenge was I initially failed the first exam I took for my LMSW. Without that license, I could not work in the healthcare system that I wanted to be hired in. I had my first daughter by then and I was exhausted from caring for a newborn on that test day. I could barely stay awake. I failed by one point. I was so disappointed. I waited several months later, waited until baby was a bit older and on a better sleep schedule/routine then tried again. I booked a room the night before so to make sure I got enough sleep. My husband read scriptures to me and prayed with me over the phone that night. I passed with flying colors the next day.
I would also say that being a woman pursuing career ambitions while also raising a family has its own challenges. There is oftentimes the struggle of balance when trying to meet the demands of the mental health field and stay on top of my growing business while being a very involved and present mother to three little girls ages five years old, 2.5 years old and four months old. As I’ve seen on social media the saying the days are long but the years are short is so very true. I know they are watching me and I try my best to be intentional in how I parent as well as how I run my business. I want them to grow up to be confident women of God who pursue whatever God has called them to be fearlessly.
We’ve been impressed with Hope Stone Services LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Hope Stone Services is a counseling and behavioral health private practice. Hope Stone specializes in children and their families, cutting and other self-injurious behaviors, and providing psychoeducation on marital and premarital principles. Hope Stone is a solution-focused practice. You and your therapist will establish goals together and work towards accomplishing them using a variety of methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Family Systems Therapy, and Positive Psychology just to name a few. Hope Stone is currently meeting with clients virtually via telehealth five days a week as well as in office once a week on Tuesday. The office is located at 1301 Shiloh Rd. Suite 860, Kennesaw, Ga 30144.
Hope Stone Services recently launched Enlightened Escapes marriage retreats. Enlightened Escapes is the total package of couple’s retreats. You have an opportunity to vacation with your spouse while also adding therapeutic tools to your marriage toolbox via the guidance of a licensed psychotherapist. Hope Stone takes care of everything for the couples.
I have also self-published two journals. One for anxiety called There’s Hope and another for gratitude called Rise and Shine. I also created an affirmation card deck to compliment the gratitude journal.
More about these products and services can be found on my website.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
The favor of God has always been present in my life. Being a preachers kid, I know that my parents prayed over me as well as my grandparents and I am simply the product of those answered prayers. I am blessed to have a wonderful, loving and supportive husband. I am blessed to have a strong village that helps us with raising our three beautiful daughters so we can work to pursue our dreams. I wholeheartedly believe that because I am walking in God’s purpose and will for me that I am simply blessed in the good and the bad times.
Pricing:
- Enlightened Escapes range from 450 to 650 per couple
- There’s Hope Journal $14
- Rise and Shine Gratitude Journal $16
- Positive Self Talk card deck $12
- Pre-marital group classes starts at $170 per person
Contact Info:
- Email: jasmine.west@hopestoneservices.org
- Website: www.hopestoneservices.org
- Instagram: @hopestoneservices
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hopestoneservices
