Rev. Dr. Jason C. Whitehead

Licensed Clinical Social Worker, ICF Coach, Presbyterian Minister

My Story

I like to tell people that I’m an engineer who decided he’d try and work to build people up rather than build bridges and roads. The trail that led me into private practice is long and winding.

At various stops along the way, I’ve worked in churches, schools, and counseling centers. Each place I rested taught me something about myself, about others, and about community. These lessons form my presence as a coach, therapist, teacher, and consultant.

The stories of my life are reflected in how I think, feel, and act. They give me the confidence to feel empathy and compassion. They create a space in me for hope when all else feels lost. And, most of all my stories give me a sense that we can and often we want to do better, but need some help to become who we are called to become.

My Values & Beliefs

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Stories Matter

We are the stories we tell. It’s how we come to interpret the world and share who we are. One of the primary beliefs I hold is that a more complex story is a better story. We have a habit of telling simple stories, and we often get stuck on negative details. A complex story helps us see the whole of who we are and put our stories in a better context.

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People Matter

Not only do you matter, but so do the people around you. Shaping new stories or making old ones more complex need other perspectives. We need other people. We need connection. Good connections and healthy relationships help us tell better stories. And, better stories give us more options and choices.

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People can Change

I wouldn’t be doing this work if I thought the future was fixed. I firmly believe we can change. We are the authors of the stories we tell. That’s not to say it doesn’t take time, effort, and hard work. It takes good relationships with the power to help us heal from stories that hold us back, and relationships that can help us see what is possible.

My Approach

Simplexity is the one-word description I would use to describe my approach. Another way to think about it is puzzle-making.

It’s about how simple cut out shapes can come together to form a complex picture. Our stories may seem straightforward. However, they always omit details – other perspectives, emotions, contradicting evidence, further experience, and so on.

In therapy, we tease apart the stories and break them down. We turn over every rock and look behind every bush until we get it as complete as possible. Then we put the picture together again to see how it’s changed along the way. From there you have a choice, does the new story fit better and is it worth telling or do we need to keep working on it.

In coaching, we’re adding to your stories. What is it that you want to be able to say about yourself? How do you want to engage the ongoing process of change? What is next? Often we focus the on the story you want to tell about yourself and your world, and then develop a plan to see what comes next.

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