Jessica McMillan

A conversation with Jessica McMillan

• What led you to choose psychotherapy or counselling as a profession?

  I have always had a drive to help people. I have studied body therapies and Traditional Chinese Medicine and eventually decided that my passion was in psychotherapy. This led to a Bachelors degree, then a Master's degree in psychology.
  I am not afraid to walk down the roads that can feel scary, it is all a part of the healing process and often leads to an even greater flourishing.

• Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?

  Buddhism is at the basis of my personal and professional development. The power to watch emotions, thoughts and feelings as they arise, without having to push them away, or judge them, offers tremendous freedom.

• Which particular aspects of health or the human journey are you interested in?

  I am very interested in the holistic health of people. I think it is wonderful to watch someone as they develop their curiosity, and start to explore, what it means to be healthy on every level. I also find transpersonal psychology fascinating.

• What methods do you use?

  I use mindfulness, body awareness, visualizations and parts work.

• When do you think the client will start to feel that progress is being made?

  It depends on the individual. Some clients see progress after the first appointment, others move more slowly and may start to notice change after 4 or 5 sessions. Everyone is different and move at their own pace.

• How has therapy made a difference in your life?

  I don't view anyone as 'broken'. I can clearly see that there are parts of us that have been wounded, and that we act and react from these parts sometimes. The aim of our system is not to be terrible, it is to keep from feeling the pain over and over again, so it works to protect us, in whatever way it has come up with. My aim is to find what the hurt parts want to say, and needs to share. Once this happens, the system can start to shift.

• What do you like most about being a therapist?

  I love that I can help people to start living better lives. I have so much gratitude for being able to do what I do.

• Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?

  Of course I do, everyone does. Things don't go the way I want them to sometimes. I can have the best of intentions, but whether I am just having an 'off day' or something has happened in my personal life and I don't have the energy to stay balanced...sometimes I just need to take some space for myself to be quiet and still.

• What do you think is the most significant problem we face, in the world today?

  I think there are 2 things:
  1. Not holding each other with compassion. People are very quick to judge each other and expect the worst.
  2. Not communicating from kindness. When we can have compassion for each other and stay mindful about how we communicate, the breakdown of relationships is few and far between. It doesn't mean that we can't feel anger or sadness, it's about how we communicate what we are feeling and what we TRULY mean.

• Can you share the name of a book, film, song, event or work of art that inspires you?

  What a Wonderful World - by Louis Armstrong
  Live Like you were Dying - by Tim McGraw
  Wherever you go, There you Are - by Jon Kabat-Zinn