Meet Hannah Jackson

We recently connected with Hannah Jackson and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Hannah, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.

As a therapist it’s very important for me to hold onto hope and optimism for my clients until they have the capacity to do this for themselves. I started my private practice in the summer of 2020, during the pandemic where the optimism from the general public was waning. Aside from individuals suffering multiple personal losses, we were also glued to our devices witnessing the losses of others at an overwhelming volume. At this time I struggled with the idea of holding onto hope for my clients, while personally managing my own battles. At times I felt like an imposter, trying to generate a feeling of hope while wrestling with my own apprehension and pessimism. I came across a concept that was very helpful for me called, “Critical Hope.” It was popularized by Dr. Jeff Duncan-Andrade, an associate professor of Latina/o Studies and Race and Resistance at San Francisco State University. This concept combines hope with a critical awareness of the challenges and injustices present in society. It acknowledges the harsh realities and systemic issues that individuals, especially marginalized communities, face. It is action-oriented, taking concrete actions to address and overcome these challenges. It aims to empower individuals by fostering resilience and a sense of agency. And finally, it involves creating supportive environments where people feel valued and understood. The work I do with clients acknowledges that life is complex, contradictory, and uncomfortable. Despite this, time and time again I have seen them persevere and exceed their own expectations which sustains my own optimism.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a registered social worker who wears a few hats. During the day, I am a Learning Strategist within the Accessibility Services office at the University of Toronto. I support students with disabilities with regards to learning skills development through one-on-one support, workshops, and events. I am also co-chair of our office’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access committee. At this time our committee is working hard on an anti-Black racism project that aims to make Black students feel more welcome and included within our service provisions.

I am also a trauma-informed psychotherapist who holds my own private practice. At this time, I work with clients one-on-one but by my hope is to expand my services to include workshops and speaking events next year. I volunteer as a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters Toronto and was honoured to receive the Big Sister of the Year Award earlier this year. My Little and I have been matched for 8 years, and she has just started her Bachelor of Science degree at Toronto Metropolitan University. Within all of the roles that I hold, what excites me most is seeing transformation in the people I work with. Often we have a tendency to be quite down on ourselves, quite self-critical. When working with students or clients, I try to lead with strengths and compassion. I do believe we are always trying our best, even if our best looks different from day-to-day. Seeing people’s self-esteem, self-advocacy, and self-compassion develop and flourish is an incredible feeling.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Cultural humility is an ongoing practice that involves a lifelong commitment to self-evaluation and self-critique. It emphasizes the importance of understanding one’s own cultural identity and biases while being open to learning from and respecting the cultural identities of others. Key aspects of cultural humility include:
Self-Reflection: Continuously examining one’s own beliefs, values, and biases.
Openness: Being receptive to the cultural perspectives and experiences of others.
Lifelong Learning: Committing to ongoing education about different cultures.
Empathy and Compassion: Approaching interactions with a genuine desire to understand and honor others’ cultural backgrounds.
We have a tendency to look outward first and this practice has been helpful in reminding me to be more attuned to how I am feeling and why. This is also a great way to practice growth.

My advice would be to enter situations with open curiosity rather than judgement or criticism. It’s okay to ask questions, to seek clarity. When we lack context or information we naturally have a tendency to try to fill in the gaps ourselves and the gaps may be informed by own own fears and biases. For example, you send a friend a loaded text message and they respond with, “Okay.” Sometimes this can send us into a tailspin trying to understand what this could mean. It may only be after conversation that we realize our assumptions were incorrect.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

This is a great question. I often feel overwhelmed because I have a tendency to take on too many things without assessing my capacity prior. This is an ongoing skill I am developing. I plot everything in my calendar, such as appointments, events, and even hang outs with friends. This helps me visualize my commitments instead of trying to juggle everything in my head. I try to practice saying, “Let me take a look at my schedule and I will get back to you,” rather than saying “yes” right away. It can be hard to say “no” depending on who is asking, and sometimes we minimize the ask and only realize how much is involved once we try to get started. I use AI tools when it comes to breaking down and chunking tasks, for example Goblin Tools has a fantastic feature called Magic ToDo, where you can enter in any goal you may have and it breaks it down into steps. I also bring people in when I am feeling overwhelmed, meaning, rather than trying to handle everything myself, I see if there is anyone who can support me with my tasks. Often we try to do things alone because we feel as though we should, or don’t want others to know we are struggling or behind in our deadlines. Sometimes we see everything as urgent and important, so it can be helpful to write things down and create a top 3 priority list. Finally, I return to myself through activities that bring me joy. This can look like walking in nature, eating a good meal with a loved one, or just being home alone and listening to a good podcast. Self-care at its finest.

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Big Brothers Big Sisters Toronto

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