Our mission is to assist people in moving from “acorn to oak tree” so that they can lead meanin
03/04/2026
Today I read our book for Read Across America Day.
During Social Work Month.
And I felt the weight of it.
This isn’t just literacy.
This isn’t just authorship.
This isn’t just social work.
This is what it looks like when grief refuses to waste away.
This is what it looks like when a mother turns pain into pages.
This is what it looks like when a social worker understands that stories heal.
Jada’s voice still lives in these words.
And every time I read them out loud, I am reminded:
• Literacy is liberation.
• Representation matters.
• Healing can be documented.
• Legacy is intentional.
As a social worker, I help people process trauma.
As a mother, I learned how to survive it.
As an author, I made sure our story would outlive the silence.
Read Across America Day reminds us to read.
Social Work Month reminds us to serve.
But today reminded me to remember.
Some books you read.
Some books rebuild you.
And this one?
This one did both.
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02/24/2026
We’re easing into 2026 with a Great Joy Reads recommendation that hits home in the best way.
The Mountain Is You – Brianna Wiest explores why we sometimes stand in our own way, how self-sabotage forms as a form of self-protection, and what it takes to grow beyond the patterns that no longer serve us.
A thoughtful pick for anyone ready to make gentle changes, choose themselves daily, and step into this year with more clarity and compassion. 💜📚✨ Tell us if you’re adding it to your list!
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02/23/2026
100 years of Black history means 100 years of brilliance, resistance, care, culture, and community.
At Great Joy, we honor the past while continuing the work—supporting healing, growth, and legacy every day.
This month (and always), we hold space for our stories. 🖤✨
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02/23/2026
Grief makes people uncomfortable. After someone’s loved one passes, their name almost becomes unspoken. The same people who were front and center at the services suddenly disappear. No check-in. No “how are you… really?” What we do notice is silence.
Most people don’t know how to grieve—or how to hold space for those who are.
“I didn’t know what to say.”
“I didn’t want to trigger anything.”
“You seemed okay… and you have so much support.”
Often, the people we thought would check in the most… check in the least.
That’s why I created the Grief Recovery Group. This is a free, judgment-free space for anyone who has lost a loved one and feels like their grief hasn’t been fully processed. No timelines. No platitudes. No pressure to grieve the “right” way.
We will meet Tuesdays, starting February 24, via Zoom at 7:00 PM.
Come sit with people who get it.
The honest way.
You don’t have to carry this alone.
02/14/2026
Large, fragrant, and distinctive — the lotus doesn’t just grow, it rises.
Water-repellent leaves that rise above the water, untouched by the very environment it grows in. Rooted in mud, yet never defined by it.
That’s resilience.
That’s refinement.
That’s becoming. 🌸
You can’t shame a lotus for where it started — it was built to bloom anyway.
01/26/2026
Jada used to tell me: “Be surgical. Own that you are HER. Act like you know, Mom."
Not loud. Not messy. Precise. Certain.
Sometimes I could do that with ease.
Other times my Pentecostal roots would kick in and I’d find myself in that familiar space of
“stay humble… but let ’em know.”
And then there was Jada.
She didn’t debate my greatness.
She didn’t downplay it to make other people comfortable.
She called me higher.
She taught me that humility isn’t pretending you’re small.
It’s knowing exactly who God made you to be—and standing in it without apology.
So let me say it plainly, with my whole chest and my whole faith:
I am HER.
Not because I chased it.
Not because I performed for it.
But because God designed me this way.
H.E.R.
Healed enough to stop shrinking.
Elevated without asking permission.
Rooted in God, not validation.
I didn’t become HER to compete.
I became HER when I stopped hiding.
And if my light makes someone uncomfortable,
that’s not arrogance—that’s alignment.
Jada knew before I fully did.
She saw it. She spoke it. She expected me to live it.
So here I am.
Still humble.
Still holy.
Still surgical.
And undeniably… HER.
01/24/2026
46 years covered by grace.
Every season:joy, loss, waiting, and becoming—has been held by God’s hand.
I am standing because He kept me.
I am smiling because He sustained me.
And I am still here because purpose remains.
Jada Sampson your legacy projects are ready and my work now pivots to those initiatives.
I will protect your legacy with my life .
Happy Birthday to me. 🙏🏽✨
11/27/2025
🍁 Happy Thanksgiving from Great Joy 🍁
Today, we pause to honor gratitude — for life, for community, and for the privilege of serving others.
At Great Joy, we are thankful for every individual, family, partner, school, and organization that has trusted us to walk alongside them this year. Your courage, your resilience, and your commitment to healing inspire us daily.
We are also deeply grateful for our compassionate team, whose dedication makes our mission possible. Your work changes lives, strengthens communities, and brings light into places that need it most.
As we all gather with loved ones today, may this season bring you rest, peace, and reminders of hope. Thank you for being part of the Great Joy family — we are honored to serve you.
Wishing you a warm, safe, and joyful Thanksgiving. 🧡
— Great Joy Counseling & Consulting Services
11/26/2025
Open to all teen girls ready to grow, connect, and shine. 💜 Join Lexis & Naomi every Friday at 7 PM for real talk, friendship, and support. Let’s pour into our girls together. Tell a friend!
With the help and guidance of God and some praying folks-
I built three legacy programs for my baby less than 30 days after she went to heaven.
Anger? I alchemized it.
Disappointment? I redirected it.
Grief? I carried it while I kept going.
’Cause every time I wanted to crumble, I heard her voice: “Ma… you got this.”
And she was right.
Now look at us—funded, favored, and still rising.
Go Hard energy in my chest, purpose in my bones.
This one’s for you, Jada Simone.
We did it, Joe.
And we’re just getting started.
11/19/2025
The Jada Simone Stretching & Body Movement Program
Step into a space where movement meets mindfulness and healing unfolds through the body. This series combines gentle stretches, expressive motion, rhythm, and intentional breathwork to help participants release built-up tension, restore energy, and cultivate a sense of calm and balance. Guided by mental health professionals and movement instructors, each session encourages self-awareness, presence, and the joy that comes from moving freely and intentionally.
Experience movement as a form of self-care, emotional release, and connection with your body—an invitation to nurture both physical and emotional well-being in a supportive, affirming environment.
The Jada Simone Creative Writing Lab A therapeutic storytelling initiative for youth navigating grief, trauma, and identity. This program provides a safe and affirming space for young people to process complex emotions through poetry, journaling, and creative expression. Guided by licensed clinicians and teaching artists, participants will explore how words can become a bridge — connecting pain to purpose, loss to legacy, and silence to self-discovery. To extend its impact, the Lab will partner with schools, community centers, and youth-serving organizations to make programming accessible to those who might not otherwise find spaces for creative healing. Collaborations with local libraries, universities, and writing collectives will support curriculum design, writing retreats, and publication opportunities. We are seeking facilitators, clinicians, and artists who are passionate about mental health, equity, and youth empowerment to serve as mentors, workshop leaders, and guest speakers. These partnerships will help shape a dynamic ecosystem of support—where each young writer is seen, heard, and guided by a community that believes in the transformative power of story.
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Contact The Practice
Send a message to Great Joy Counseling and Consulting Services:
Great Joy Counseling & Consulting Services, located in Westfield, NJ, is an innovative private practice offering psychotherapuetic services to children, adolescents, adults, couples and families throughout New Jersey. Our team of highly qualified professionals specializes in various evidence-based practice therapy techniques and specialized skills groups to meet the needs of every client.
We utilize the most up-to-date psychotherapy techniques to improve the overall health and wellness of our patients and their families. Great Joy Counseling and Consulting Services is committed to providing every client with prompt, courteous and complete care in a professional and confidential manner.
Our clinicians treat clients with the following issues:
anxiety
depression
anger management
stress management
addictions
relationship issues
chronic illness
boundary issues
substance abuse
emotional disturbances
family conflict
infidelity
compulsive sexual behaviors
PTSD
ADHD
parenting
career counseling
divorce
Schedule Appointment
Schedule your counseling or consulting appointment today.Whether counseling is a new experience for you or something you've done before, it is common to have questions about how counseling can help you and what to expect. Just know, we are here to guide you in taking your first step towards getting to a better place and being a better you. Here at Great Joy Counseling & Consulting we pride ourselves on assisting our clients with great joy. We specialize in moving people from acorn to oak tree so they can live meaningful lives filled with great joy.
We offer individual, couples, groups, and family therapy both virtual or in person. We also provide Continuing Education courses, clinical supervision, and non profit and for profit consulting.
We now offer evaluations to become a medical ma*****na patient.
Some medical ma*****na benefits:
