Today we’d like to introduce you to Déja Jackson
Hi Déja, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am originally from a small town outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. I was raised by my mom and dad, who randomly met in Ohio and stayed, even though they are not from Ohio. I have four siblings: two brothers and two sisters. Both of my brothers were adopted. My parents were foster parents, so it was common to have other kids in the home, or random neighborhood kids who had been kicked out of their homes would come to ours. I moved to Orlando at the age of 18 and experienced a culture shock when I started at the University of Central Florida. I grew up around mostly Caucasian people and quickly learned to work through my own implicit biases about everyone. I studied Psychology and made it a point to become connected to my culture. This launched the true start of self-discovery for me. I immersed myself in different types of cultures to better understand myself and the people around me. I graduated and immediately entered the workforce. This led me into several years of working as a social worker in various sectors. I became an expert in child abuse investigations and sexual assault advocacy. I obtained a Master’s Degree from Nova Southeastern University, which propelled my counseling career. Currently, I work for a hospital as a Social Worker and see clients for mental health counseling on the side. I have started my own wellness business, Alpha Synergy Counseling and Consulting, to take my career to the next level. Getting to this place was not easy at all. I work with trauma on a daily basis while also navigating the struggles and blessings in my personal life. I have lost several close family members, a childhood friend, and watched my mother’s health take a negative turn, but it managed to get back on track in the end. I dealt with a toxic bosses and unethical practices while still trying to advocate for those who could not advocate for themselves.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road, but it has still been a blessing nonetheless. I lost both of my grandparents within a year of each other, and during that time, I lost a friend from college due to cancer. Right before the pandemic, I lost my childhood best friend, and it took me several months to even believe that he was gone. During my second-to-last semester of grad school, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. This was a huge blow to my entire system, but it taught me a lot as a therapist and as a person.
During that time, my health was at an all-time high. I was eating right, working out consistently, going to therapy consistently, and my psychiatrist weaned me off all of my psychotropic medications. As soon as my mom’s diagnosis was confirmed, my body shut down, and those healthy coping skills that I had acquired suddenly stopped working. I scheduled an emergency appointment with my psychiatrist to be put back on my meds, but she told me no. She told me that I was having an appropriate reaction to the news that I was given. She held space for me as I broke down during the session, riddled with non-stop, debilitating anxious thoughts.Like I said previously, I have been so blessed. My mom beat cancer and has been in remission for 1.5 years. Resilience is such an important trait to have because, without that and God, I would not be here. I have still been able to push forward no matter what life hands me.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Alpha Synergy Counseling and Consulting LLC?
Alpha Synergy Counseling and Consulting is a mental wellness business that I started in 2024. The goal is to provide the community with a safe space to connect with themselves or others. The business can provide mental health sessions as well as community events. These events will help educate the community about the importance of mental wellness and allow people to meet their peers in a safe environment to connect with each other. I am most proud of encouraging my mother to obtain her LLC and helping her build clientele, as she is more than qualified. My mom has an MBA and has helped counsel many on how to run a successful business. A goal is to continue to find ways to implement more family members into my business. I am also proud of simply starting, even though there was nothing simple about it. As someone who has been diagnosed with ADHD, I have to find ways to accommodate this, as completing tasks on time can be a struggle for me.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Support. Support is so important. You cannot do life alone no matter how much the world can break your heart. Asking for support does not mean you failed. There is a reason why they say it takes a village. I make sure to include God in everything that I do to ensure that I stay humble and empathetic to others. I specialize in trauma and that can be so incredibly isolating. I encourage ALLof my clients to build up the support around them and trust that they can take some of the load off of you.
Pricing:
- Educational Workshops $10-$50
- Mental Health Counseling (60min) Session: varies with insurance or $100 self pay rate
- Consulting $100/hr
Contact Info:
- Website: coming soon
- Instagram: @alphasynergycounseling
