Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Jones.
Hi Lisa, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My path to where I am today wasn’t a straight line. It rarely is for any of us.
I left an abusive partner with forty-eight dollars and no car. As a single mom, I navigated the justice system and a protective order, all while attending graduate school. I moved into a transitional housing program to help me finish. That season taught me what survival really looks like, and it shaped everything about how I show up for my clients today.
I became a Licensed Professional Counselor in 2018. I worked in community mental health, including crisis intervention work during the Gatlinburg wildfire recovery, which profoundly shaped how I approach trauma and crisis response.
But I needed to raise my income to provide for my daughter and myself. So I took another leap of faith and started my private practice with fourteen dollars in my bank account. I’m not exaggerating. Friends held me up during that season. One wrote the check for my office space, and others opened their homes to us when our apartment flooded with sewer backup and floodwaters. I know what it means to start from nothing and to rely on community.
That’s why I opened Jones Family Counseling Center here in Knoxville. As a therapist, I specialize in trauma, grief, and loss, helping clients heal and grow through PTSD. There’s something sacred about walking alongside someone through their darkest moments and watching them rediscover hope and resilience, because I’ve been in those moments myself. I believe I have some of the most amazing clients, and I feel so privileged to work with such resilient, beautiful people.
That transition from employee to business owner was one of the most challenging and rewarding things I’ve ever done. And honestly, that’s where my second passion was born.
I realized so many talented therapists were burning out or feeling stuck because no one teaches us the business side of this work in grad school. So I started Jones Consulting Solutions to help other clinicians make that same transition, offering clinical supervision, crisis management training, and business consulting. And my second book, Employee to Business Owner: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Starting Your Own Private Practice, is coming out in December. It’s the roadmap I wish I’d had.
I also wrote Everyday Budgeting For Every Day People: A Real-Life Guide to Managing Money Without Shame, Stress, or Perfection because I’ve lived the stress of financial struggle and know how much shame people carry around money. I wanted to offer something real and grace-filled.
Today, I’m a mom, a grandma, a wife, and the proud owner of a golden doodle named Lincoln. Through it all, my approach has stayed the same: meet people where they are with grace, not perfectionism. Whether I’m sitting with a client, training a room full of professionals, or mentoring a new therapist, I believe in encouragement over criticism and practical steps over overwhelming expectations. I’ve been in the hard places. And I know the way through is never shame. It’s always grace.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not a smooth road. I shared some of it already, but beyond the big moments, there were daily struggles too. Learning how to run a business with no training. Figuring out marketing, finances, and insurance panels while also seeing clients. Battling imposter syndrome and wondering if I had any right to be doing this.
There were times I wanted to quit. Times when the numbers didn’t add up and I had no idea how I’d keep going. But I kept showing up. And I learned that the hard seasons don’t disqualify you. They prepare you.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I run two businesses that reflect my two passions.
Jones Family Counseling Center is my private practice here in Knoxville. I specialize in trauma, grief, and loss, helping clients heal and grow through PTSD. I’m EMDR certified, and I work with people who are ready to stop just surviving and start truly living again. What sets my practice apart is that I’ve walked through my own hard seasons. I don’t sit across from my clients as someone who only read about struggle in a textbook. I’ve lived it. That shapes everything about how I show up in the room.
Jones Consulting Solutions is where I pour into other therapists. I’m an Approved Clinical Supervisor, and I offer clinical supervision, crisis management training, and business consulting. My focus is helping therapists make the transition from employee to private practice owner. It’s a leap that can feel impossible when you don’t know where to start, and I love being the person who says, “Here’s how. Let me walk you through it.”
I’m also passionate about burnout prevention for therapists. This field is hard, and too many good clinicians leave because they’re exhausted, overwhelmed, and running on empty. I help therapists build sustainable practices and protect their energy so they can keep doing the work they love without losing themselves in the process.
What I’m most proud of is that both businesses are built on the same foundation: grace over perfectionism. I meet people where they are, whether that’s a client processing trauma or a therapist figuring out how to file for an LLC. I don’t believe in shame as a motivator. I believe in encouragement, practical steps, and showing up consistently.
I also have two books. Everyday Budgeting For Every Day People: A Real-Life Guide to Managing Money Without Shame, Stress, or Perfection is for anyone who has ever felt shame around money. And Employee to Business Owner: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Starting Your Own Private Practice is coming out in December for therapists ready to take that leap.
What matters most to you? Why?
My faith matters most to me. Everything I do is rooted in Jesus’ command to love your neighbor as yourself. That’s not just a nice idea to me. It’s how I try to live my life, whether I’m sitting with a client, mentoring a therapist, or just going about my day.
I love my family. Being a mom, a grandma, and a wife are the roles I treasure most. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.
And I value kindness, compassion, and gentleness towards others. Life is hard enough without adding harshness to it. I believe people are doing the best they can with what they have, and they deserve to be met with grace. That’s what I want to offer in every interaction, whether personal or professional.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jonesfamilycounseling.com/
