Meet Jawaskie Deal | Licensed Professional Counseling, National Certified Counseling

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jawaskie Deal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jawaskie, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
Often time it seems as if people are unaware of the education, time, and dedication that’s required to become a Licensed Therapist. When I’m approached by others seeking to pursue a career in the field of counseling, they’re often shocked when finding out the requirements of successfully completing a Master level program, the seemingly overwhelming number of supervision hours and satisfying other requirements from your state licensing board.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I have the privilege of owning and operating my private counseling practice, Believe Iberia Counseling, with the aspirations of it becoming a group counseling practice in the near future. It has always been a goal of mine to be able to provide my community and the surrounding areas with a high-quality mental health option. I want to change the narrative for those who have barriers to accessing personalized and consistent mental health treatment. Honestly, I can go anywhere in Louisiana and provide this service, but I take pride in knowing that I’m servicing the very same community that poured so much into me as a youth, which helped mold me into the man I am today. By restoring lives, I hope that the work I am doing today will be felt by generations to come and play a role in ending the cycle of familial curses that plague our communities.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Here in New Iberia, LA, our culture is like no other, deeply rooted in traditional and southern influence with a twang of its own. My favorite time to invite friends to my hometown is during festival season. You can easily witness our unique culture through the music, food, and smiling faces. We are most famous for our Sugarcane Festival and gumbo cook-offs, but like most of south Louisiana, we also celebrate Mardi Gras and laissez les bon temp rouler! I’m not sure if I can pick just one place, but lately the food truck scene has been thriving and offering some good homestyle cooking. I love seeing and showing off the local entrepreneurial hustle, so that would probably be our first stop.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, I always have to send a shoutout to God, because without his guidance, I would be nothing.

Next, I must shoutout my mom. I wear the badge of a momma’s boy proudly. Over the past few years, working through my mother’s personal health concerns, I found myself being able to tap into my purpose through the pain. As an adult I still strive for the level of excellence of which she would be proud. She gave birth to me at the age of 16 and through everything still went on to become a Registered Nurse. Without having that representation of perseverance and ambition, I probably wouldn’t have had the tenacity and faith to pursue entrepreneurship. Thanks mom!

Lastly, a shoutout to Bruce Buggs, LPC! Mr. Bruce was the first black male licensed therapist I crossed paths with. At that time, it felt like meeting a unicorn, because black male therapists are woefully underrepresented within the field of mental health counseling. I can’t stress the importance of having a professional mentor along with being able to have a visual manifestation of your career path. Thanks for teaching me the importance of minority representation and the skill of balancing my personal and business life.

Website: www.believeiberia.com

Other: Email: believeiberiacounseling@gmail.com

Image Credits
Jawaskie Deal