Meet Jameca Cooper

We were lucky to catch up with Jameca Cooper recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jameca, so glad you were able to set aside some time for us today. We’ve always admired not just your journey and success, but also the seemingly high levels of self-discipline that you seem to have mastered and so maybe we can start by chatting about how you developed it or where it comes from?
My parents played a significant role in shaping my character by teaching me the value of self-discipline. They raised me in the southern region of Arkansas, where they both grew up picking cotton, living through sharecropping, and enduring the Jim Crow South during the Civil Rights era. My military veteran father instilled in me the importance of hard work and discipline. My parents believed in using tough love to teach me life skills and to prepare me for the future. Though I found it challenging at times, I spent most of my summer days indoors, completing lengthy book reports while my peers were outside playing. This lifestyle instilled in me the art of time management, self-discipline, and resourcefulness, which are crucial to success in life. Looking back, I appreciate the time and energy my parents invested in shaping my character, and I am grateful for the person I have become today.

The invaluable lessons my parents taught me have also been passed down to my two sons. I attribute my success and accomplishments to my ability to work harder and longer than my peers, which has often set me apart in various aspects of my life. The tough love I received from my parents also instilled in me the value of not dwelling on negative feelings. When feeling sick, tired, or disappointed, I learned to acknowledge those emotions briefly and then move on to avoid them becoming a barrier to my growth. Growing up in this manner has taught me a great deal about resilience, one of my most important qualities. I believe that resilience is a key personality trait that often determines the long-term success of individuals. It enables us to bounce back from adversity, overcome challenges, and stay focused on our goals despite obstacles. Therefore, I am grateful to my parents for instilling in me such a valuable trait that I still carry today.

In life, I have come to understand that winning or losing is not as significant as how quickly and often you can recover from those losses. When I went through a challenging divorce over a decade ago, it taught me the importance of self-discipline and resilience. These crucial elements helped me survive and thrive after the divorce. Therefore, if you encounter hardships, always remember that it is not the end of the road, and you can still rise if you remain determined and resilient.

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?
I am a Counseling Psychologist & Criminal Psychology consultant. I am a past president of the Association of Black Psychologists (Saint Louis Chapter) and President of the Tougaloo College Alumni Association (St. Louis chapter). I am also the President-Elect of the Missouri Psychological Association and, recently, the chair of the Committee on Aging, a national committee with the American Psychological Association (Jan 2023-Dec 2023).

My company, Emergence Psychological Services, has served the Saint Louis community for the past sixteen years. I am the recipient of a Fulbright Award/Fellowship in Global Health and was awarded the “Salute to Excellence in Health Care” award by the St. Louis American newspaper (St. Louis, Mo; April 2014) in honor of my dedication to healthcare for African American individuals in the community. As a highly accomplished professional, I’ve successfully donned many hats over the years. One of my most notable roles has been as a court expert witness, where my invaluable insights have helped countless legal cases. My speaking engagements as a TEDx speaker have also earned me recognition and admiration from diverse audiences. As a media personality, I’ve had the privilege of appearing on some of the most prestigious platforms, including ABC, CNBC, NBC, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, and even the Discovery Channel’s “Caught!”

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Confidence came naturally to me. I held my head high even when folks tried to dim my light. Growing up as a Black woman in Arkansas, confidence alone wasn’t enough. I walked confidently, holding my head high, thanks to my mother’s strong spirit and my father’s quiet conviction. However, I had to learn the lesson of resilience the hard way. Life dealt me its blows, from observing the difficulties faced by my community to struggling through a difficult divorce. Nonetheless, every time I fell, I picked myself back up, a little stronger, and a little more resilient.

I’ve faced a lot of challenges in my life, including prejudice, microaggressions, and the weight of history on my shoulders. These things could’ve easily knocked me down, but I found a way to keep rising. Maybe it was the strength I inherited from my grandmothers or the fire in my spirit, but I learned to bend without breaking. Every setback became a stepping stone, teaching me empathy, understanding, and a fierce determination to make the world a better place.

I come from a long line of hardworking people who understand the value of perseverance. My parents picked cotton under the scorching sun while I burned the midnight oil studying. We all know that nothing worthwhile comes easily. Therefore, I invested my time and effort into my studies, sharpened my skills, and became the successful person I am today. Confidence, resilience, and work ethic were not just traits; they were my survival tools. They helped me navigate a world that was not always just and continued to guide me as I help others heal from their wounds. And honey, let me tell you, there’s no greater reward than witnessing the strength blossom in a patient’s eyes, knowing that I played a part in their journey. That’s what keeps me going, that’s what makes this more than just a job, it’s a calling, a purpose.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I’d love to collaborate with attorneys or legal experts on criminal cases. I’m also interested in working on media projects focusing on psychological or criminal issues.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
All photos of Dr. Jameca Woody Cooper

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