Meet Mi’Anjel Jack

We were lucky to catch up with Mi’Anjel Jack recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mi’Anjel, so happy to have you on the platform and I think our readers are in for a treat because you’ve got such an interesting story and so much insight and wisdom. So, let’s start with a topic that is relevant to everyone, regardless of industry etc. What do you do for self-care and how has it impacted you?

One of my favorite forms of self-care is traveling. As mental health professionals — especially those of us working in correctional and juvenile justice settings — the work is deeply meaningful, but it can also be emotionally and physically taxing. We’re holding trauma, crisis, systems-level stress, and high-stakes decisions on a daily basis. That requires intentional restoration.

Travel allows me to step outside of my immediate environment and experience new cultures, perspectives, and ways of living. It stretches me. It reminds me that the world is bigger than the walls of any facility or system. That perspective shift is grounding and humbling — and it’s energizing.

But here’s the professional side of it: self-care isn’t indulgent; it’s ethical. When clinicians are burned out, we are more vulnerable to impaired judgment, compassion fatigue, boundary drift, and ethical errors. Taking intentional breaks helps me return to my work regulated, reflective, and fully present. It allows me to think clearly, respond rather than react, and show up consistently for justice-involved individuals who deserve high-quality care.

Travel also sharpens my cultural humility. Exposure to different communities enhances my awareness of systemic factors, resilience patterns, and strengths that exist beyond the populations I typically serve. That ultimately improves my clinical formulation, assessment lens, and intervention strategies.

In short, travel helps me breathe — and when I can breathe, I can think. When I can think, I can serve well. And when I am restored, I am a more ethical, effective, and compassionate clinician.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

At my core, I am a Clinical Psychology doctoral candidate at The Chicago School in the DFW area. But beyond the title, I wear a few meaningful hats. I’m an advanced practicum student at FCI Seagoville, and I also work part-time as a mental health clinician at Dallas County Juvenile. So yes… my calendar stays booked — but it’s booked with purpose.

What excites me most about being a student is the privilege of learning while doing. Doctoral training is rigorous and, at times, humbling. But having the opportunity to practice under supervision — to refine my clinical judgment, deepen my assessment skills, and sharpen my delivery of evidence-based treatments — is invaluable. I don’t take that lightly. Being a student means I get to ask questions, stretch myself, and build competence in a very intentional way. That foundation matters, especially when working with high-risk and high-need populations.

Working at FCI Seagoville has expanded me in ways I didn’t anticipate. As a trainee in a federal prison, I’ve worked with populations I previously had limited exposure to, including individuals convicted of sexual offenses. That experience has challenged me to confront my own assumptions and grow my capacity for empathy. One of the most transformative aspects of this work has been learning how to hold accountability and humanity at the same time. That balance is complex — but it is essential in correctional mental health.

At Dallas County Juvenile, I work with justice-involved youth, and that is where I see resilience in its rawest form. Many of these young people have experienced trauma, instability, and systemic barriers that most of us will never encounter — yet they still show humor, creativity, intelligence, and hope. Watching them push forward despite their circumstances is powerful. It constantly reminds me to approach my work from a strengths-based lens. It has also deepened my gratitude for the “small” things in my own life.

Professionally, I’m especially focused on understanding how trauma impacts cognitive functioning and behavior in justice-involved youth. My research and clinical interests intersect around assessment — particularly how we interpret intellectual and neuropsychological functioning in populations exposed to chronic stress and adversity. I’m passionate about ensuring that evaluations are not just diagnostically accurate, but contextually informed.

If there’s anything else I’d want people to know about me, it’s this: I genuinely believe in growth — for my clients and for myself. Whether I’m sitting across from a detained adolescent, an incarcerated adult, or in supervision with a mentor, I show up curious, accountable, and committed to becoming the most effective and ethical clinician I can be.

And yes — I care deeply about the work. But I also laugh, travel, pray, go to the gym, and protect my peace. Because sustainable impact requires a sustainable clinician.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

If I had to narrow it down to three qualities that have been most impactful for me, they would be resilience, openness to feedback, and passion.

1. Resilience
Doctoral training is rewarding — but it is not linear. There will be unexpected delays, revisions on revisions, tough supervision sessions, demanding practicum sites, and moments where you question whether you’re doing enough. Resilience is what helps you bounce back instead of burn out.

For me, resilience meant continuing to move forward even when timelines shifted, research required restructuring, or clinical work felt heavy. Especially working in correctional settings, you will encounter complex cases and systemic barriers. You have to learn how to recover, recalibrate, and keep going.

Advice for early trainees: Normalize setbacks. They are not evidence of inadequacy; they are part of professional development. Build routines that sustain you — whether that’s mentorship, therapy, faith, exercise, or community. Resilience isn’t just grit; it’s also knowing when to rest.

2. Openness to Feedback (Humility + Lifelong Learning)
It is never good to be overly confident in this field. Psychology evolves. Research evolves. Best practices evolve. And we evolve. Some of my greatest growth has come from supervision where I had to sit with feedback that challenged my assumptions or sharpened my clinical reasoning.

Working with justice-involved youth and incarcerated adults has taught me that certainty can be dangerous. Curiosity is safer. Staying open allows you to refine your assessments, improve your case conceptualizations, and deliver more ethical care.

Advice for early trainees: Seek feedback — don’t just tolerate it. Ask supervisors, “What’s one thing I can improve?” Read beyond what’s assigned. Be the kind of clinician who is committed to mastery, not just competence.

3. Passion for the Work
You have to care deeply about what you’re doing. This field requires long hours of study, emotional labor, and ongoing training. If you don’t love the population you serve or believe in the mission, burnout will come quickly.

My passion for working with justice-involved individuals — especially youth — keeps me grounded. It pushes me to pursue additional training, to study how trauma impacts cognitive functioning, and to advocate for ethical, context-informed assessments. Passion makes the hard days meaningful.

Advice for early trainees: Be honest with yourself about what populations energize you. Follow that. Your passion will sustain your persistence.

If I could summarize it simply:
Be resilient enough to endure the process.
Be humble enough to keep learning.
Be passionate enough to stay committed.

When you combine those three, growth is inevitable — and so is impact.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

If I’m being completely honest? My biggest area of growth in the past 12 months has been learning to let go of what I cannot control.

Now — for some people, that comes naturally. For me? Not so much. I like plans. I like structure. I like anticipating outcomes and doing everything in my power to make sure things go “the right way.” (Yes, I can absolutely admit I’ve had control tendencies.)

But this past year — between doctoral training, research demands, correctional work, supervision, and life — I’ve had to confront the reality that not everything is within my circle of control. Timelines shift. Institutional systems move at their own pace. Clients make choices we can’t dictate. Opportunities evolve. And sometimes, despite your best preparation, outcomes don’t unfold the way you predicted.

I realized that trying to control uncontrollable variables was quietly fueling unnecessary anxiety and stress. It wasn’t making me more effective — it was making me more tense.

So my growth has been practicing acceptance. Focusing on what is within my control: my preparation, my professionalism, my ethical decision-making, my effort, my attitude. And releasing what isn’t: other people’s decisions, systemic delays, unpredictable outcomes.

Ironically, letting go has made me stronger clinically. I’m more present in sessions because I’m not mentally trying to steer everything. I’m more flexible in supervision. I’m less reactive when plans change. I model emotional regulation more authentically for the youth I work with because I’m actively practicing it myself.

In many ways, this growth aligns with what I teach clients — radical acceptance, distress tolerance, and understanding locus of control. It’s humbling (and healthy) when your personal growth mirrors the interventions you provide professionally.

So yes — I still love a good plan. But I’ve learned that peace comes from doing my best within my lane and trusting that the rest will unfold as it’s meant to. And that shift has reduced my stress, strengthened my resilience, and made me a more grounded clinician.

Contact Info:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mi-anjel-jack-08640619b