Jacob Higman

He/Him/His
 

Hello, my name is Jacob, but I also go by Jake. I am passionate about working with
people who are living with mental and physical health conditions. Currently my area interest has
been on anxiety, depression, bipolar disorders, ptsd, disability, chronic pain, and people who
have been traumatized by the healthcare system. I am an ally of the LGBTQ community and a
feminist. The reason I chose therapy as my career path is because I am a beneficiary of therapy,
and helping people feel better has always made my life more meaningful. My personal mission is
to help make people feel understood and validated. I am here to provide a listening ear for those
in need by using empathic listening/connected knowledge; putting my biases aside to try to
understand what it must be like from the client’s personal perspective. I believe that by becoming
more authentic with ourselves, we can live a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

I have a Bachelor’s of Social Work accredited by Eastern Michigan University.
Currently, I am on my last year of my Master’s Degree for Social Work at Michigan State
University. My long-term goal is to become a Licensed Mental Health counselor holding a
LMSW. My experience in health and human services includes working in the field of geriatrics,
addiction, and homelessness. As a caregiver I helped many older adults who struggle with
abilities and mental health conditions in some of their most vulnerable states which taught me
humility, patience, and creative thinking patterns to help clients find meaning and purpose even
within hospice. As an intern I worked 400 hours of training at a detox facility with many clients
that had comorbid mental health conditions. At the facility I learned value of social support,
connection, and open mindedness. Lastly, working as a shelter coordinator I learned about the
paradox of poverty as well as invaluable crisis intervention strategies I could use when clients
were too overwhelmed to function in the program. As a coordinator I was part of a team that
helped families find more permanent stable homes. Many of my previous clients had differences
in physical, financial, and mental abilities/limitations, but all of them had intrinsic value.

Unpacking our burdens takes time and varies from person to person. Therefore, I believe
in checking in with my clients to make sure they are okay. Only preceding with therapy
cautiously when they are ready. Every session is individualized. People are different. We have
different strengths and weaknesses, different triggers, and traumas. Together we can move
towards the healing process by creating a safe place, learning, and implementing coping
strategies, therapeutic frameworks, and self-compassion practices. We are not our burdens. Some
important outcomes people choose to address in therapy include improving their quality life and
discovering more about themselves that they did not consciously know; albeit our needs vary,
and we can search for what your goals are, even if you haven’t figured it out yet.