Meet and Greet: Jasmine Jordan joins Perspective Psychology

Jasmine Jordan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) for Perspective Psychology. She works with couples and adults and specializes in relationships, anxiety, depression, trauma and transitions.

Tell me a little bit about your personal life. What brought you to Chicago?

“I’m from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and moved to Chicago in 2015 after college. I love it here and never want to move. I love the diversity and being able to go to different neighborhoods, interacting with different people, and trying different coffee shops and cuisines. It’s such a great place to live.”

What led you to become a therapist?

“I’ve always wanted to help people. In college, one of my friends was struggling with an eating disorder and a lot of abuse and neglect. I wanted to help and tried to help, but she needed more intensive care than I could provide at that stage of life. Watching her go through that made me want to build more skills to be there for people—to listen and help them understand their struggles more and to help them in meeting their goals. Mental health impacts our minds, but it also impacts our bodies and the decisions we make. I’m happy I’m in a place now where I can do more to help people.”

How would you describe your approach to therapy?

“I’m very strength-based and empathetic. I try to understand the person and put myself in their shoes—what they’re going through, why they’re going through it—and I want them to know they have a partner going through it with them. I want to know their goals and provide motivation and encouragement to help them get where they want to be. We all have weaknesses or things in our life that we want to improve, and sometimes those weaknesses can become a source of negativity. I try to challenge clients in healthy and empathetic ways to balance their strengths and weaknesses and not dwell on that negativity so they can still have prosperous and fulfilling lives.”

Who is your ideal client?

“I really enjoy working with adults who are experiencing life transitions, whether that’s starting college, getting out of college, getting married, starting a family—whatever the case may be. People often experience stress, anxiety, and even depression around major life changes, and sometimes past traumas can surface. I want to engage with clients and assist them in healing from their trauma, decrease their depression and anxiety, and help them build coping skills so they can find healthy ways to manage any symptoms they may be experiencing.

What is it like working with couples?

“Everyone has a unique perspective on what is happening and what they’re experiencing. That’s both the difficulty and the beauty of working with couples: being able to see and empathize with the different perspectives each person has in the same situation—while also helping them see the perspectives of their partner. Together, we can focus on improving negative patterns in their relationship. Instead of blaming your partner for something, it’s possible the communication is just off. So, it’s really about working through those dynamics and getting to a better place in the relationship.”

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

“I love being around animals and nature, and I love reading fantasy and mystery novels. With fantasy, I love experiencing a different world and seeing how the author details that world—while also seeing how it still relates to everyday life. I also love reading mysteries and seeing if I can solve the mystery before the end of the book. I’m usually wrong (laughs), but I love reading Ann Cleeves and Sarah Mass.”

What would you say to someone who is on the fence about therapy?

“It can be hard to step into therapy, but it can also create a really good space to open up and explore different parts of yourself. It doesn’t always have to be difficult conversations, and it can be really rewarding to build and have healthy communication with a therapist. Having someone to listen to you without judgment and to assist you as you’re working through things—it’s a beautiful space to explore and learn more about yourself.”

To schedule an appointment or complimentary consultation with Jasmine, please email jasmine@perspectivepsychchicago.com or call (312) 219-4256.