Mikayla Jones

What did you want to be when you were a child?

My heart and soul has always belonged to Hawaii and to the ocean, so growing up, I aspired to be a marine biologist. While I still have a passion for the water, I found that those types of sciences weren’t my strong suit. I switched my career to psychology and then to counseling where I felt better aligned. I had always been told I was people’s fiercest supporter, and could always lend a listening ear. And I truly feel I’m made to help people. But don’t worry, Makai means Ocean in Hawaiian, so I still get my love for the water in there somewhere.

Where were you in life when you decided to start your independent practice?

I decided to start my own private practice and say yes to myself when I was coming off maternity leave with my second child. I have been in the mental health field for the better part of 12 years, working in stand-alone psychiatric facilities, ERs, community mental health, and private practice fields. While I still am a part of a wonderful group practice, I wanted to work on growing my own practice. It was my dream and always had been. So I just took the chance, and I’m excited to watch it grow.

In moments of self-doubt or adversity, how do you build yourself back up?

There are several moments in my job and in my career that I question if this was the right path.. and then I have a moment with a client where they’ve navigated a difficult life trauma, or they’ve been able to shift a perspective and see improvement in their life, and it makes it all worth it. This work is emotional, raw, and vulnerable, and when that light finally breaks through, I know that it’s making a difference. It’s the light that keeps me going, even if the majority of the moments are heavy.

What is your favorite thing about your workspace?

As counselors, we always put a lot of thought into our workspace and virtual backgrounds to ensure that they feel inviting, warm, and calm for clients. Being able to tie in Hawaiian-style palms and blue and green colors represents not only myself but the spirit of aloha. I want clients to feel safe and secure when they share their time with me, so I love that my choice of colors can represent that peace and stillness.

What is your personal or professional motto?

One of the best mottos I always refer to, for myself and for my clients, is “Life’s like an Ocean: It can be calm and still or rough and rigid, but in the end, it’s always beautiful.”

I think it’s a great representation for how life can change. It isn’t always easy, but life is something that deserves to be celebrated.

What’s the first thing you do every morning to start your day off on the right foot?

This has been new for me, but for the past several months I get up at 5am, or hopefully before my kids get up, and I go workout on the peloton. I usually do a 20-30 minute ride, followed by some strength training. Then my 4 year old and I will do a morning meditation to try to get our day going. It isn’t always perfect, but it has helped to get me energized and ready for the day.

Mikayla Jones, MA, LPC, NCC is the founder and lead mental health counselor at Makai Counseling, LLC in Colorado. She specializes in treating anxiety, depression, trauma, and conflict in interpersonal relationships and works with both individuals and couples.

Order reprints of Boss Babes Magazine here.