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Psychiatrist Dr. Jessica Clemons is on a mission to open up the mental health world and use social media to normalize the conversation on everything from big topics like depression and anxiety to those nagging feelings that you’re not sure you need to talk to someone about. Most importantly, she wants you to know where and how to get help. And she’s well on her way to making those conversations part of the current zeitgeist.
At 40k+ followers, her @askDrJess Instagram handle houses personal anecdotes, inspirational quotes and a weekly live stream that lets her viewers ask questions in real-time amongst a community of peers. She also launched an in-person event series where she interviews influential people in music, fashion and media. And in 2018, she hosted the first live television therapy session with VH1, “In Session: Live With Dr. Jess”. She’s tapped into the current culture in a way that makes her accessible to the audience she wants to reach most: people of color.
Dr. Clemons received her medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University and is still going through her residency. Yet, she makes time for content and events between her training and spending time with her husband. It’s because she believes what she’s doing is important. As a young, Black female physician, she may not be what you expect when you think of a psychiatrist. And it's in her work to change that. I got a chance to speak with her about why she thinks the visibility is important and how she came to use social media as a platform for change.
Shani Syphrett: What motivated you to become a physician?
Dr. Jessica Clemons: It was my parents. Growing up, they pushed me and my younger brother to pursue professional careers and instilled in us the importance of education. They planted the seed and, as a naturally curious child, I was really into books and science. I’d go to my doctor's appointments and want to know exactly what my doctor was doing. Before I knew it, it was just something I was telling people I wanted to do. And then, I guess because I'm so determined, I just went ahead and did it. I'm really happy my work in mental health gives me the opportunity to take care of people when they need it the most. I think having compassion and the ability to empathize with people is my gift. And I use it to remind people, who may be feeling like they're suffering mentally, that they are not the summation of the negative things that have happened to them. I remind people that they are not their pain and that they have access to love.
Syphrett: It’s clear that psychiatry is a passion. You chose it for your residency and now you’re a vocal proponent for everyone trying therapy. Why do you think it is so important?
Dr. Clemons: Yes, I talk about that a lot! For people who are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, it may seem like the obvious choice to seek treatment. But, I think therapy can help people who are feeling stuck. Maybe they're noticing that they are experiencing the same patterns over and over in relationships or even at work. Maybe they're not advancing the way they’d hoped or are not able to be as productive as they'd like to be. Therapy gives you an opportunity to reflect deeply on the internal experience of those issues and uncover the root. I really believe that it can have a huge impact in terms of connecting to confidence and learning how to channel unpleasant emotions. For people who truly invest in it—the time commitment and really doing the work—they'll find that there are so many positive things that can come out of it. It can be very difficult to imagine going in front of a therapist and sharing things that you maybe have never told other people but that's the way to really get to know yourself and one of the first steps towards healing.
Syphrett: What are the origins of @askDrJess? Why did you decide to create content for social media?
Dr. Clemons: Going to my own therapy sessions helped me to start the concept of @askDrJess. I had this idea to try to normalize conversations about mental health. It came out of my own feelings of not being able to really do the work in psychiatry the way that I felt strongly committed to, which is supporting communities of color. So talking about it in therapy gave me an outlet and a way to sublimate those feelings of helplessness. Therapy isn’t about telling someone what they think you should do. It’s really about learning what to do on your own. And it’s a process every single week, more than once a week for some people.
Syphrett: I don’t think many people think of doctors getting treatment themselves.
Dr. Clemons: It's helpful for us to experience what it's like to be on the other side and to work out the things that could be potentially affecting how we’re showing up in our lives and to our clients. I remember the day when Instagram debuted the feature where you could post a poll. People had already started asking me things about anxiety because I would always talk about being in medical school and my residency training. I’d done a lot of group work where I'd lead discussions that were also teaching people. So I thought I’d give it a try on Instagram. I posted the poll and 90 percent of people said they wanted to learn more about anxiety. Then it was as simple as picking a time and logging on for the discussion.
Syphrett: Did you have any reservations about going online and talking about what could be seen as private topics?
Dr. Clemons: I wouldn’t say I was. Before that, I talked about being a Black woman with natural hair and hearing feedback—not directly or in my experience in medicine—that natural hair was seen as unprofessional. And when I posted about that and asked if other women had that experience, I got hundreds of responses and a write up in a well-known magazine. I found that it was a very common experience. And women of color were not only sharing that it had happened to them but also talking about the emotional experience too. Using social media, I found ways to connect and talk about things that are real. So I just kept doing it and it felt natural. My husband got excited about it as well. He’d encourage me to set up my live streams every Saturday and helped by sharing it with people he knew. Before I knew, eight or nine months had passed and people are still tuning in.
Syphrett: Your weekend live streams are an innovative way for people to ask an expert, who feels like their peer, about mental health. Do you find that people are more comfortable in that setting?
Dr. Clemons: I think it's just different. The work that I do every day is taking care of people in an office, primarily for individual treatments. It is a private experience for people to share what's on their mind and what they are feeling. But, the live streams feel like a group experience. It's not group therapy, by any means, but there is this shared sense of empathy. I do remind people that it’s the internet and what they share could live forever, but they still share their questions. And when they share, there's this feeling that the group gets to share some of the burden. If I'm not able to answer a question right away, someone may bring up something I've said on another live stream or point out a place where they've gone to get help. I’m there as the expert but people also use each other as support. I think there's a certain level of comfort that comes from that. I don’t think those times should take the place of someone actually seeking treatment and I am careful about times when people say things that seem unsafe, but I think it’s a step in the right direction.
Syphrett: You’ve spun this experience off to live events as well. What made you decide to go in that direction and how has the reception been so far?
Dr. Clemons: The live streams have been really great and it's something that I'm going to continue to do, but I found that people were interested in connecting outside of the Internet. That in-person connection is really what I do. So I started the "Be Well" event series. It's a conversation series that gives people a chance to step out from behind their social media handles. They come into a space where they might meet a friend or hear something from a panelist that resonates with them and sparks some tangible change. And that’s the goal. I want people to feel like conversations about mental health are something normal to have in groups and I want them to walk away feeling inspired. The feedback has been great and I've been able to sit with some incredible people. I've had Kerby Jean-Raymond, founder and fashion designer of Pyer Moss, and Grammy-nominated rapper, Rapsody. I'm hoping that I can even talk to the likes of Lebron James. I’ve found that when people hear someone that they admire talking about seeking treatment, it starts to feel more attainable for them. And having these candid conversations in front of an audience is almost like a therapeutic experience for everyone at that moment.
Syphrett: You’re doing all of this on top of your regular residency schedule. How are you practicing your own self-care?
Dr. Clemons: For me, self-care is something you do every single day. It's not just one activity like getting your nails done or getting your hair done. Self-care is paying attention to what's going on internally. And that means taking inventory of your feelings and honoring what your body needs. So if you're feeling tired, it's OK to end the day a little earlier by rescheduling that dinner plan or not going to the gym that day. It may be different for everyone. I practice healthy habits like trying to eat well and exercise. And rest is important. During the holiday season, I took a break from New York City and spent time in the South with my husband and my family. It was my time to recharge.
Syphrett: What’s next for you after residency? Do you think social media will play a big role in your professional career?
Dr. Clemons: I definitely see myself continuing to do work in community outreach. I hope to work with New York City on platforms like NYC Well [New York City's free, confidential support, crisis intervention, and information and referral service]. I will continue the "Be Well" series and connect with other therapists of color and those who want to treat underserved communities and give referrals to them. I think it’s important for doctors who focus on those communities to be visible and let people know that they are taking patients. I know that my private practice will be different because I have been using social media to engage my audience. But the process of treatment will still be the same. I will still have another therapist who will serve as my supervisor to help me think through different cases. And there will still be treatment agreements so that all parties feel safe. My goal with social media is to remain visible and keep the mental health conversation going.
The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
