Staff Spotlight: Juliette Jackson, Clinical Care Coordinator

Clinical Care Coordinator Juliette Jackson came to United Counseling Service (UCS) almost a year ago looking for a way to help others. She had earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of South Florida, then worked in wedding sales and planning and restaurant management before making the switch to mental health counseling. She wanted to return to Vermont and the mountains and decided to make the move. As a Clinical Care Coordinator at UCS, she meets with clients both individually and in groups, using her ability to relate to people in her work each day.

“I just really enjoy talking to people,” says Juliette. “I like being a listening ear. It makes me want to come to work every day.”

Her days vary depending on client needs and scheduled groups and can include meeting clients in her office or elsewhere in the community. If a client lacks transportation or feels more comfortable outside an office setting, Juliette meets them where they feel most able to have meaningful conversations. This might be a walk outside, in a client’s home, or even while a client completes daily chores or tasks. “I can meet them out at the park and take a walk,” says Juliette. “Sometimes just sitting in the office and talking once a week gets a little boring to people—it’s getting outside and finding calm while doing the talking.”

Juliette also runs mental health support groups at UCS as both a sole practitioner and co-practitioner—her groups include Women’s Self-Esteem, Men’s Self Esteem, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and a recently added Emotional Wellness Group. She co-facilitates a Shadow Self group that addresses trauma healing. She and her co-facilitator are planning a new group focusing on meditation and mindfulness, which her clients already enjoy.

Juliette hopes to encourage the local community to embrace group therapy as a way to share feelings in a safe space while building a healthy support system. “People come in with a lot of hesitation because they don’t want to just talk about their problems or their trauma in front of others,” says Juliette, “but having that support is really important. It builds a little community that you don’t normally have.”

The best part of her job, according to Juliette, is learning about her clients and being able to help them. “Sometimes it can take a week, sometimes six months, but always, when you feel that you really helped somebody, it’s super rewarding.”

Outside of work, Juliette puts her own mindfulness techniques into practice. She loves spending time outside with her three kids, including one year old twins, and her two dogs, and enjoys hiking with her dogs in the mountains. Juliette also rides her horse three to four times per week and takes lessons as well. “My horse is getting back [into riding]—she’s had two babies, I’ve had three babies, so we’re kind of one the same page getting back in shape.”

Juliette knows the importance of practicing self-care and mindfulness and lives it each day of her own life. She hopes to bring more members of the community together to talk, share, and take care of each other through group therapy. “I know it’s hard to really talk about your feelings in front of other people, but it builds a whole support system that a lot of people don’t have. Just being open minded to the idea of group therapy is something I want to get out into the community and to UCS clients.”