Quality of Life: Jessica LeRoy

By OBOS — April 28, 2009

From 2009 – 2011, Our Bodies Ourselves honored the work of women’s health advocates worldwide by asking readers to nominate their favorite women’s health hero. View all nominees by year: 2009, 2010, 2011

Entrant: Mark LeRoy

Nomninee: Jessica LeRoy, Clinical Director

jleroyoutdoor1I want to nominate my hero and my wife, Jessica LeRoy.

She had quite the tumultuous childhood rife with abuse, domestic violence, alcoholism and drug abuse. As a teenager she fell into drugs, alcohol, and ditching of classes. She had a great time in high school since it was one big party to her. When she made it to her senior year she was informed that she would not be graduating because she had failed too many classes.

That was a very pivotal point in her life.

It was proof as to how she felt about herself on the inside: stupid, worthless, and a failure. She ended up just barely graduating from high school, and then went on to a community college. From there she transferred to the University of Southern California where she was on the Dean’s List every semester, graduating with honors and a GPA of 3.8. Although the entire time she felt like a fraud. Afraid someone would find out she was really the loser she felt like.

A few years later after working at an art gallery and then in the entertainment industry, she started to volunteer at a domestic violence shelter. She decided that this is what she was meant to do. She went back to school and received her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. When she thinks back on her history she is shocked that she was a girl who barely graduated from high school and now has a Master’s Degree with honors.

From there she started her private practice as a psychotherapist specializing in the Psychology of Women (www.jessicaleroy.com) and had a full case load within the first 4 months of opening. Currently, she is the Clinical Director of a center for women that she created. The goal of her new center is to help empower greater numbers of women to experience the quality of life they are striving for.

What she realized through her history and career path was that the chaos in her childhood and her own struggles with failure made her who she is today. She would not be able to do the work she does helping other women had she not struggled herself. I am sure there are still times she feels that someone is going to pull back the curtain and reveal that she is “failure,” but that it is not who she is anymore.

I am very inspired by my wife and think her story will be inspiration to others as well.

17 responses to “Quality of Life: Jessica LeRoy”

  1. Jessica show all women that we can learn tools to turn our life around.

    Thanks

  2. If being a “failure” is being a great role model for your little sister, then I think you’ve succeeded!

  3. Jessica is confident, comforting and bright. She is the first person I have talked to in a professional environment who I feel actually cares about me and my journey to discover my greater path.

    What an amazing thing for a husband to do – BIG APPLAUD! How do I vote?????

  4. Jessica discovred the Butterfly within and claimed her wings and is now helping others to claim theirs. Congratulations Jessica.

  5. Jessica is simply amazing! A true angel in human form. I am so blessed to know her!

  6. I am so moved by Jessica’s story and it’s happy ending.

    She makes the world a better place. Three cheers for Jessica and her success story!

    Thank you Mark for sharing!

  7. I have been counseled and helped at a very difficult time in my life by Jessica. I have found that it is rare a therapist – marital or otherwise – who understands the developmental, emotional, psychological and physical challenges women specifically face in their lives as a result of their gender, in addition to other factors they must navigate. Jessica is a therapist with whom I feel comfortable describing the details that make me my own human, and I’ve had that experience only once before. I am shocked but also inspired to read the details of Jessica’s life as her husband recounts them. I would never have guessed her history given her approach – she is a light, and it gives me hope that the light could only have come from the absence of it.

  8. Jessica,

    Your professional and educational accomplishments speak for themselves, so I would like to take this opportunity to say how fortunate I feel to be able to call someone as caring and thoughtful as yourself my sister in-law, my family.

  9. Oh my gosh, Jessica! You need to speak at schools. You could save so many girls from dropping out. I can’t wait to hear about all the good working your doing.

  10. Jessi,

    Words can’t describe how proud I am to know the woman, both personal & professional, that you’ve become.

    Your husband is to be commended for sharing your story.

    How do I vote????????

  11. Jessica has always been an extremely loving, sensitive, compassionate, creative and intelligent daughter and person. Once she realized that for herself, “failure”, was defintely not who she was and she has unselfishly pursued avenues to help other women. Her strengths can be noted by the people she chooses in her life today – an example, her supportive husband, Mark, who dearly nominated her.

  12. I am so proud of Jessica and am honored that she is part of my life and family.

    She is a huge inspiration to all of us.

  13. Wow! Amazing what you are doing to help those in need. What a great story and I believe there are many more victories in your future….

  14. Wow! What a fantastic story! What a beautiful human being she is and I am so glad to see the love that you two share – but, also the respect you have for her and how truly far she has come!

    Keep it up Jessica! You are a fantastic nominee! Keep following your passions!

  15. You go Jessica! You are truly an inspiration to others and you are fantastic friend and clinician and I feel grateful to have you in my life. Thanks so much for all that you do! You deserve to be recognized for all that you have done and accomplished.

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