Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacqueline Layton
Hi Jacqueline, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I love this question because our stories shape not just what we do, but why we do it.
As a trauma survivor and cycle breaker, what got me through was connection and purpose. I found people who believed in me, and I found peace in supporting fellow survivors. Volunteering at a hospital, domestic violence shelter, and sexual assault advocacy center showed me that healing wasn’t something we had to do alone—it happened in community.
Learning has also been a form of liberation. As a child, school was my refuge. Over the years though, my education wasn’t just about achievement and safety—it was about breaking free, building something new for myself, and making a positive impact in the world. So, as I spent 11 years in college, graduate school and residency to earn my PhD in Counseling Psychology and develop my trauma specialty, I worked in hospitals, VAs, community clinics, a cancer center, and even a maximum-security prison. I loved working with people brave enough to do trauma therapy. At the same time, the more I worked in these systems, the more I saw the very same patterns of trauma, oppression and chronic stress we were trying to heal in the first place. Productivity was prioritized over sustainability, efficiency over depth. Even in the most well-intentioned spaces, I felt the friction.
I founded Mockingbird Therapy as both an act of resistance and an act of hope. I wanted to create a space where healing from trauma, oppression, and burnout wasn’t just possible—it was deeply human and liberating. Through my work, I’ve helped people reclaim their lives, break cycles in their parenting, and redefine success on their own terms.
As we continue to navigate collective trauma, I’ve expanded my work beyond individual therapy. I am now also launching a group program for cycle-breakers as well, because healing isn’t just individual—it’s communal. In many ways, building this business has mirrored the trauma healing process itself. Over time I have moved beyond survival, fully embraced liberation, and found an inspiring impact-led community along the way.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road has definitely had its bumps. In a way, I was my first client. When I was first starting out, I struggled with “analysis paralysis.” I kept feeling that I needed to learn or research just a little more before I could truly begin. I realized that this was actually just self-doubt disguised as preparation. I had to release my old defenses (e.g., over-preparing and perfectionism) and trust in my own ability to adapt. I grounded myself in my values and found mentors, business coaches, and fellow feminist, impact-led entrepreneurs.
Having a business has an interesting way of bringing up all of the things you’ve been working on (or avoiding). I had already been improving my communication, leadership and boundary-setting skills. My business required me to level all of those up. I also had been learning to be more intentional in work-life harmony and creating systems to prevent burnout. And being a business owner and mom made that all the more necessary and important as well.
These bumps helped me grow. And led me to discover how much I enjoy helping my clients work through similar patterns of perfectionism, hyper-independence, and self-doubt. I have some appreciation for this bumpy road. It has really helped me build a business that is more intentional, values-driven, and aligned with the kind of healing and liberation I want for my clients. It also helps me practice the sort of self-compassion I support in my clients. Running a business can be challenging, just like therapy, healing, coaching, and cycle-breaking. But it’s all worth it.
We’ve been impressed with Mockingbird Therapy & Assessment, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I can’t begin to express what it feels like to have founded and grown a woman-owned, cycle-breaker-owned mental health practice that centers client care and social justice. This has freed me to offer nothing less than the level of care I have wanted to see in mental health for so long. Mockingbird Therapy is a radically inclusive, feminist, evidence-based, trauma-informed, and culturally-responsive practice.
Mockingbird Therapy & Assessment™ is a psychology practice and mental health clinic created to support people and communities as we heal from trauma, oppression and burnout. The work we do is centered on justice and collective healing. Mockingbird Therapy exists to make a world where work-life balance, compassion and connection are the norm. We want to see fewer exploited entrepreneurs, fewer struggling creatives, fewer martyring counselors, and more people finding community, sustainability and peace. In this practice I can offer virtual therapy and assessment for survivors of trauma and oppression as well as group programs for those who want to discover their own version of work-life harmony within a supportive community. I get to offer and create affirming and decolonizing care that meets people where they are and centers our clients and their stories.
I am most proud to have created a practice that earns and maintains clients’ trust. Healing and growing is vulnerable. I am honored by how we have created safe relationships and spaces for people to heal, grow and discover their true selves and stories. Mockingbird Therapy will continue to be not just a mental health practice but also a haven for survivors of trauma and violence, LGBTQIAP folks, and people of color.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Mental health and collective healing from trauma go beyond the therapy room. That’s why I have been expanding where and how we can connect.
If you’d like to work with me for therapy, coaching, training or another service, you can go to mockingbirdtherapy.com and add yourself to my schedule for a free consultation call. You can also fill out a contact form through my website or email us at connect@mockingbirdtherapy.com if you’d rather. Folks wanting to collaborate are welcome to reach out through our website or by email. You can also follow me on Instagram @CycleBreakingPsychologist and our clinic @MockingbirdTherapy to join in dialogue and community around trauma healing and cycle-breaking. You can also sign up for my free newsletter. I hope that these things we are creating and offering can be helpful for you or someone you know.
Pricing:
- Individual therapy (55 minutes/$225)
- Assessments (virtual clinical, personality and/or ADHD/autism assessments for adults, beginning at $1000 and tailored to client needs)
- Veterans/Servicemembers PTSD or other mental health disability assessments (starting at $1000 with options for add-ons such as nexus letters)
- Group therapy sessions (60-90 minutes, beginning at $50)
- On demand workshops (free and paid options – the best way to keep up with these is to sign up for my newsletter!)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mockingbirdtherapy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyclebreakingpsychologist
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-layton/
- Other: Sign up for Dr. Layton’s free newsletter and guide to creating an impact without burnout here: https://mockingbirdtherapy.kit.com/burnout
