Jessica Wilkerson, of Inspired Life Counseling, leads us on moving toward courage, healing, and joy

Moving toward courage, hEaling, and joy

A thought provoking adage states, “Those who think they can and those who think they can’t... are both right.” Jessica Wilkerson has parlayed those first five words into believing she can attain anything. As a result, she is delighted to introduce Inspired Life Counseling, a boutique therapy practice providing healing and counseling services to help individuals, couples, and adolescents move through tough situations.

Jessica grew up in Redding and graduated from Enterprise High School, a place she felt “had a great climate and happy staff.” Soon after graduation, she found herself in a challenging time, faced with an infant and a failing marriage. She kept her thoughts together, focused on what she could do, and enrolled in Simpson College to earn a bachelor’s degree in business. College demonstrated that a degree would allow her to do whatever she wanted. Upon graduation, she found a job in commercial lending at North Valley Bank. She had been enamored by the business classes she took in college and was delighted to put it to use.

Originally, Jessica wanted to be a teacher but was afraid it would be tough to balance a classroom and home. Jessica decided to get a master’s degree in psychology, figuring it would either open doors or change her direction. That whole ‘those who think they can’ thing came calling once again. In fact, one week from submitting her master’s thesis, the bank, due to the real estate bubble bursting, served her with a layoff notice. She found a job at a nonprofit, the Child Abuse Coordinating Council of Shasta County and served as an AmeriCorps volunteer. For three years, Jessica served both the nonprofit and the community to ensure large strides were taken in order to strengthen families and prevent all forms of child abuse and neglect. She most enjoyed teaching parents how to parent.

With the master's degree in hand, and the sum total of her life lessons behind her, Jessica took a job at Chico Creek Counseling. It took less than five-andone-half years for her to make the move and start her own business in 2019, using her training in attachment and brain development. Her confidence level was high, as she understood many therapists don’t succeed due to the general lack of the all important “business acumen.” She was asked by a Camp Fire lawyer to help his clients as Jessica had been trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), a psychotherapy enabling people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress due to a disturbing life experience. She believes that a business background, and training like EDMR, allow her to relate to these and every client from teens to folks with considerable financial wealth. This became the birth of Inspired Life Counseling, owned by Jessica Wilkerson, LMFT. The way Jessica got to this point is both remarkable and telling.

The business has been in a "convenient and beautiful location" since September, with three additional counselors and the recent addition of a front office employee. All three therapists, under Jessica’s umbrella, are also trained in EMDR. Jessica emphasizes that at Inspired Life Counseling, the therapist’s mindframe is “human first; therapist second,” ensuring the therapist brings their real self to the session. Jessica has faith in the notion that when two humans are talking, it is important one has the tools and confidence to shine a light on patterns and help a client who feels lost see the forest for the trees. Overall, Inspired Life Counseling reveals itself as quiet, safe, and confidential. Jessica points out ,“The therapists, themselves, are moving toward courage, healing, and joy.” In the end, those who think they can are definitely right.

Visit their website, inspiredlifechico.com and read an encouraging piece from each therapist. To contact Inspired Life Counseling, call (530) 230-9086.

One Sound, One Band, One Family, One Community

To say last year has been tough on schools and students would be a gross understatement. To say it’s been even tougher on extra curricular activities is obvious. Try teaching band class through distance learning. While the focus has been primarily on sports, pure “handson” activities like band and theatre have also suffered.

No one understands this better than Mike Walker, current director of the Oroville/ Las Plumas High School Alliance Band. That’s where the title comes in. “We have a combined band, and that’s a little unusual,” stated Walker. “While, as a band, we are playing the same songs, it’s a challenge because one school practices in the morning and the other in the afternoon.” It’s difficult for people who don’t play an instrument to fully comprehend how tough this is.

Obviously, however, the concept has not only worked, it’s also been a very successful venture. Coming off a first place win in their category in Seattle in 2019, the band received a prestigious invitation to play at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The bandmates raised the trip money through a variety of fundraisers, then COVID-19 hit. The trip to NYC was cancelled. Then, another invitation came their way—to represent California at the 2021 National Memorial Day Concert. Sadly, this event was also cancelled. the band has recently been able to practice. “One of the hardest aspects of band is teaching self-discipline,” said Walker. “I teach them to believe in their music. My goal is to see the students become true artists.”

To assist in this endeavor, the Oroville Union High School District approved $120,000 in funding for new uniforms and instruments. “The district really came through,” Walker emphasized. “We’ve had amazing support from the parents and the community at large. There is some truth to look sharp, play sharp.” Mike Walker knows all about looking sharp. He played in the United States Marine Corps Band and the band at North Dakota State in Fargo.

Besides an extensive career as a musician, Walker has directed high school musicals as well. Pre-COVID, he portrayed Harold Hill in “The Music Man” at the Chico Theatre Company, and he also directed it at Orland High School, when he was their band director. Walker said, “‘The Music Man’ is my favorite musical of all time. I was lucky to be in it as well as direct it.”

Let’s hope a little luck continues, and the Oroville/Las Plumas band gets to perform by the end of the school year. Since Walker also directs the Oroville Community Concert Band, a performance by them would also be an added bonus.

By Kevin Dolan

Me March. In case you do not find this a complete sentence, allow me to play my Irish card and, as sure as the pee stains in an Irishman’s underwear are green, so does a tipsy bloke go about telling people, “Me go down the street to the next pub.” Which is where this all started. On the 13th of March, 2020, we began our shelter-in-place. What took the place of our normal routine became a daily countdown to the seemingly magical embracing of the five o’clock hour. This was in no way frivolous, but rather with guarded intent and shared through Zoom happy hours, FaceTime cheers and cheers again, and even house parties on the House Party app. Yes, there is one. We were not going to take sheltering in place lightly and shared the load with any or all willing souls. After all, the word “march” carries with it words like: to go forward, advance, proceed. Five o’clock became known as all of those, as we lockstepped our way to the bottle opener, wine opener, or occasional shot glass. March turned into April, and April into May, and so on, and so on. And now, we have made a full circle with our pre-conditioned selves, dutifully carrying out the countdown with ease. Then, out of nowhere, the metaphorical prince kissed the sleeping beauty, or the dawn of 5:00 am may have just shone a bit brighter, or however it was the dog died, I woke up. For a guy who has long used the mirror as his conscience, I walked by a full length mirror and caught more than a glimpse from my side view on the way to the shower. Whoa, like what you want a horse to do immediately. Whoa, as in me.

What is so disconcerting is the fact I was not supposed to be able to gain weight. Six years ago, a nine hour surgery to rid my body of stage-one esophageal cancer was also to be enough of a change in my plumbing for unnecessary weight gain. Five days in intensive care, where I was not allowed to swallow anything, sealed that deal. So what kind of medal do you get for breaking this record? You don’t. You get a line of dominoes ready to fall. First is my left knee finally giving up and in need of being replaced, which led to the orthopedic surgeon informing me my BMI is too close to the cutoff for a safe surgery, which left him listening to the vein in my ankle for sometime before referring me to a heart doctor. In other words, I did much more than merely gain weight, I gained a lot of weight. I immediately took myself back to last spring and my Reese’s “sorry not sorry” moments of walk-not-walk rationalizing. The smoke from the east, the unbearable burden of the summer heat, to how my knees hurt too much. Anyone’s knees would suffer carrying extra weight. I put myself on the sideline, a spectator to my family disappearing down a beautiful trail leading to an even more beautiful view. Found myself watching the family soccer game on my backyard lawn from the shade of a tree. I didn’t feel much like a real “Poppy” to my 9 and 5 year old grandsons.

So what does Me March look like? For openers (pun intended), no alcohol. I fully embrace this. More importantly, I make a renewed commitment to get back on my yoga mat. (Yes, I have one.) I also have blocks and these elastic straps, but I don’t use them. The whole body stretches and repetitive movement goes way beyond relief; it actually puts my body back together and assists in weight loss. I have a video of myself in a 90-second plank from this mat on my 60th birthday. Not certain you will see one from this year’s turning of the page. Finally, the page turns back to my meditation, my mind release, my trusted friend—my daily walk. My playlists to match different walks which I have given names to, such as the 3rd Ave stroll, big oval, and stretched rectangle. The walks, for now, will come with some changes. In place of a paced 45 minutes, will be what I refer to as “LSD,” long slow distance. More songs, more time for meditation sounds like a definite win-win. Finally, I am going to add writing just for me, not what I am doing here and now. My anxiety levels from the pandemic and politics should nod a fond adieu. My unnecessary time in bed, metaphorically beating myself up for putting myself in such a fix, will disappear. The horrifying paranoia haunting me, making me believe everyone is pointing at me as I walk past, pointing out my gross physical change should, at the very least, diminish. My whole body approach should leave me whole again. I will get off the bench and back in the line up.

I will leave you with this. As most people who know, one of my very favorite books is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, mostly for the amazing life lines within. One of them should help you understand why I would choose to be so public with my Me March. It goes like this. “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” Perhaps some of you who exist in my universe may want to join one of my sessions on LSD (could not resist!) and take me for a walk you have named or at least conjured in your mind. Feeling supported is paramount to success and washes away paranoia.