Jessica Baum - Founder, Relationship Institute of Palm Beach & Creator, Self-Full™ Method

Jessica Baum

Jessica Baum, LMHC is the founder of Relationship Institute of Palm Beach and creator of the Self-Full™ method — a therapeutic path to personal wellness and freedom from codependence. Jessica founded the Relationship Institute of Palm Beach to help heal, foster happiness, and restore hope in the individuals and families she works with.

Jessica holds an undergraduate degree from Fordham University and a master’s degree in mental health counseling from South University. As a certified addiction specialist, her focuses are chemical abuse, codependency, and anxiety. She is also a certified Imago Therapist, bringing her compassionate and effective relationship counseling experience to families, couples, and family programs within addiction treatment centers. Jessica has extensive training in psychodrama and experiential therapy, and is additionally skilled in cognitive and dialectical behavior therapy. Her training also includes EMDR and Post Induction Therapy, and she has a wealth of experience supporting trauma patients.

Jessica’s own personal core belief is centered around the importance of connection, both to oneself and the outside world. She believes the crux of most personal struggles can be attributed to a lack of true understanding and personal connection, and that it is this sense of disconnection that ultimately leads to pain. I’m so excited for you to connect with Jessica, check out her, and follow along as she continues to share how going from selfless to Self-Full™ can lead to a much more fulfilling personal life and partnership.

I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.

My name is Jessica Baum; I am a psychotherapist in Palm Beach and founder of the Relationship Institute of Palm Beach. I specialize in treating relationship issues (family and couples), trauma, and addiction. But I also work in other areas like spiritual issues and life transitions. Currently I am working on reaching more people online through online courses, online groups, and a book I plan on publishing in 2021 for women with anxious attachment styles. The book is really about the work around being Self-Full™, which relates to building inner security as well as understanding the anxious-avoidant dance so many individuals feel trapped in. 

How did you get started?

I started with a deep curiosity due to my own personal struggles with anxiety and depression in my twenties. I wanted to learn everything I could about all mental illness, because it was so real for me — like having a broken leg — yet so undetected by others. I became fascinated with all psychopathology. I started my career in a treatment center and moved to private practice pretty fast. However, I built a lot of my reputation from building and running family programs for other treatment centers. Through running and building programs others got to see my work and it helped a lot grow my practice. 

What inspired the work that you're doing?

My work is inspired by my personal life as well as my obsession with energy. Healing, emotions, energy, and the deeper questions of life were always things I thought about before I entered the field. Doing my work (healing) and being exposed to other amazing modalities inspired me. I truly feel the that best inspiration comes from doing your own work and continuing to explore yourself and learn from others. The work I am currently doing with my book and courses is inspired by me wanting to reach more people who can’t afford traditional psychotherapy, which can be expensive. I have a deep need to help women, which I think causes me to create things that I wish my younger self would have had access to. 

What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?

Yes! A big yes and I am so grateful for that. My biggest passion is understanding human behavior and connecting to others. I actually had a few careers before this one; none that I regret, but I feel being a psychotherapist fits my personality and desires so much that it has fueled me with passion and that is the secret to success. I am grateful for my practice, but my recent passion is reaching out to people on other platforms and creating a bigger impact. So I still see many clients weekly, but my passion has shifted in the last couple years to transition to how I can help more people differently. 

What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?

Sense of purpose —  I feel that this is so key. Feeling like you’re aligned with that purpose is also amazing and I know it’s a gift. My blueprint is to follow what brings you joy and passion, and build off that because that will bring you success — not just financially, but in other ways as well. I love being in my relationship with my partner. I love my dog. As silly as that sounds, the simple things really bring me joy. 

How do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on to help you stay mindful and grounded?

Intention is about your mindset. And I try the best I can to not set goals as much, but to set my mindset. I check myself all the time because I can be goal-driven, but it doesn’t allow you to enjoy the process. So if you’re reading this, to get back in the moment stop focusing on specific goals and start with broad intentions instead. For example, “I would like to impact others in a positive way and continue finding ways to always improve my health.” This is intentionally a little vague, which allows you to keep an open mindset. 

Staying grounded is more about keeping balance for me, so I try to check in with myself more, see where my energy is being spent, and redirect it if there is a leak that is not helpful. And not to be a cliché, but yoga has changed my life and helps me stay grounded in my body and my breath. 

What would your younger self think about what you're doing now?

I think my younger self would have a chuckle, like “Yeah, that makes sense, Jessica.” She didn’t know back then, and I had to do a lot of soul searching to find my purpose, but the characteristics of what defines a therapist were inside of me from an early age. That deep need to look beyond the surface was always there. Also, I was always called “sensitive” — which I didn’t see as a strength, but now the empathy I have allows me to really tap in. It was a long road, but my younger self would be proud, and she would have a big smile on her face. 

Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation?

For me right now, “It’s positive to be vulnerable.” I have always been vulnerable in my relationships with others, but now I am doing it more online and the more I share, the more I connect. Also, “You are seen.” I had a wound around being invisible as a child — maybe because I was “good,” and therefore bypassed at times — so I create mantras that specifically counteract my core wounds. 

What is your biggest dream?

To be published in a way that allows me to reach my audience. It’s my intention to impact women and have a feeling like I have helped those who needed to hear my message. My dream is also to have a loving and lasting partnership and a balanced life. It might not be a sexy dream, but it’s my dream. 

To learn more about Jessica and her work check out her website www.relationshipspb.com, JessicaBaumLMHC.com and on Instagram @jessicabaumlmhc Facebook @palmbeachtherapy and you can sign up for her newsletter here

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