Jessica Simons Traveled the World While Earning Her MAMFT from Northcentral …
… Now, She’s Committed to Changing It
The term “rock star” is overused, especially at a graduate university like Northcentral where remarkable people are the norm. When it comes to exemplary student Jessica Top Simons, however, who recently earned her Master of Arts in Marriage and FamilyTherapy degree in 28 months with a 4.0 GPA, the moniker seems appropriate. Originally from Utah where her father is a university professor, Simons’ husband is a physician’s assistant in the military, and the family, consisting of seven children (five biological and two children adopted from an orphanage in Liberia) have moved some 16 times in the past 17 years! Simons began NCU’s MFT program in Tennessee, but ended up finishing several courses and all of her clinical training in Daegu, South Korea, where the family is currently stationed!!!
“I loved studying at Northcentral,” gushes Simons. “I find the Marriage and Family Therapy field fascinating, and the courses were so interesting. I was always passionately engaged with my learning.”
In Korea, Simons now works for the one major private practice on the peninsula, Adaptable Human Solutions, in Seoul. Jessica is currently building a private practice – and a name for herself – in South Korea, working with people from other countries who seek therapy in English, including diplomats, military personnel, contractors, expatriates and English teachers working in the country.
“I really enjoy intercultural therapy,” notes Simons, “including the repatriation of Koreans who have lived abroad and are now coming back to Korea.”
The beguiling Simons, who possesses a BA in International Relations and has also worked as a ballet instructor/choreographer, as well as a certified yoga instructor, originally heard of Northcentral from her brother who is a chaplain in the Navy. Jessica’s husband had been deployed in Afghanistan, and when he returned, she was determined to carve out her own career trajectory.
“NCU is very reputable in the military community and it was a perfect fit for my hectic lifestyle,” remarked Simons. “I really struggled as a ‘single mother’ while my husband was deployed in Afghanistan for 18 months, and I actually sought therapy. After that experience, I really thought that I could impact the lives of others, specifically as a therapist myself.”
Simons specializes in therapy for children who have experienced trauma, and she believes she was led to this area through the perils that her adopted kids from Liberia faced.
“In a clinical practice, you have to examine yourself – and really look at your own baggage – in order to help other people,” relates Simons. “You have to be willing to look at all aspects of your own life and become a tool to help others. In order to be effective, you need to be there for your patients in the moment, and it’s a constant balancing act that all MFT professionals go through – constantly helping others while not burning out themselves,” adds Simons.
While it seems that Simons has it all – beauty, brains, determination, family, and a promising career – she also credits a deep spiritual component in her life that is unexplainable, yet guides her every move.
“No one had experience with my practicum in Korea, yet people stood up and helped me,” states an almost astonished Simons. “I really believe in miracles, and I just go full-force and do well when I believe I’m supposed to be doing something in my life.”
Case in point, Simons was already a mother of five children when she saw an episode of Oprah Winfrey where the host implored her viewers to visit Africa and make a difference in the lives of thousands of orphaned boys in Liberia. Simons soon found herself in that very spot and she changed the fate of one such boy, along with his sister.
More magic is certainly in Simons’ future, and after another year in Korea, she hopes to gain full licensure and her own private practice in the State of Washington after two years of post-graduate supervised work. She may also return to Northcentral for her Doctorate – and then, perhaps she’ll teach.
“I loved my faculty mentors,” smiles Simons. “Dr. Bradley and Dr. Henline were fantastic; always offering great information and insightful feedback!”
Simons looks at her lovely children and offers some sage advice: “Love others and be compassionate – without judgment – and you can truly make the world a better place. And remember, sacrifice and hard work always pay off in the end.”