Stories of Hope: An Interview with Traci Jones
This is part of a series featuring individuals who share their life experiences with mental health issues. Recently, I asked non-profit executive and peer specialist Traci Jones about her history of mental health challenges and her current activities. Here’s our interview:
DS: Tell us about when you first started becoming aware of concerns related to your mental health. How did these issues continue to affect you before you sought treatment?
TJ: As long as I can remember I was “different from others.” I grew up in a disadvantaged neighborhood wrought with violence and drugs and this environment was conducive to the development of a dissociative disorder. My family did the best they could with what they had, they were not the source of my trauma. I was first identified as a child in need of services in early elementary school and was first hospitalized my freshman year of high school. It was hard on my family because I was lashing out on them, blaming them for the atrocities I endured outside of the house, atrocities they were unaware of.
DS: What was the turning point that led you to decide to seek help?
TJ: In high school, I was placed in a substance use group, even though I never used substances, it was just the best place the school felt they could help me. After asking questions of my cohorts, it became evident to me that there were many in the substance use group who had co-occurring sexual abuse trauma. I petitioned the school and started the first survivors’ group.
DS: What has your treatment consisted of, and what have you found that has worked well for you?
TJ: I have been hospitalized so many times, I believe mindfulness and CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy) worked best for me.
DS: How are things going for you now? Are there challenges you are still facing? What have you learned that has helped you stay positive and healthy?
TJ: I have used my experiences to help others. I co-founded Trillium Drop-in center in Prince William County (Virginia) and currently am the founder and Executive director of Rise Phoenix Rise, Inc. an animal-assisted wellness program for mental health peers in the Richmond, VA area.
Our mission is to provide a safe, stigma-free environment where mental health peers can have the opportunity to interact with companion animals as well as participate in various activities that promote healthy mental hygiene. Our vision is to share the benefits of rescued animals with those struggling with mental illness. Rescued animals are magical healers who are beneficial to the mental health community.
My challenges include self-doubt at times, but I am getting better at that. I need to expand on outreach so more people can take advantage of this innovative milieu.
DS: What would you like to say to encourage others who are still working on their journey of recovery?
TJ: Recovery is possible. Stay focused on your assets, not on the deficits we all have. There is always a silver lining and we all have the propensity to rise like the phoenix above the ashes of our struggles into the flames of wellness.
About Traci
Traci Jones has served on many various boards, including the Regional Recovery Work Group in Northern Virginia and currently with VOCAL, a statewide peer mental health group. She is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS), a certified Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) facilitator, certified in Mental Health First Aid, and certified in REVIVE (naloxone administration for opioid overdose). She has earned a BS in Psychology and a MA in Human Services and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership. She was a co-founder of Trillium Drop-In Center in Prince William County and is the Founder of Rise Phoenix Rise. She is legally blind and serves as Secretary for the local chapter of the National Federation of the Blind. You can reach Traci via Facebook, LinkedIn or her website.
Thanks so much to Traci for her inspiring story of hope!
Would you like to share your story of hope? I plan to feature more personal accounts like this from time to time on my blog. If you are interested in sharing your story, please notify me via my contact page. Also, please subscribe to my blog and feel free to follow me on X (formerly Twitter), “like” my Facebook page, or connect on LinkedIn. Finally, if you enjoyed this post, please share it with a friend. Thanks!