When Dr. Jacqueline Hill opened the doors to Paramount Counseling back in 2016, she had a clear vision of what she wanted to achieve. “It’s my mission to help people navigate through life,” she says. “I want to really make an impact on people who are struggling with mental health challenges.” Paramount Counseling, which is comprised of a tight-knit group of five, seeks to provide exactly what the name implies: the highest level of care for all of its clients.
Alongside working as a successful business owner and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Hill emphasizes how important it is to prioritize her family. She grew up as a military dependent, which not only inspired her to focus on family counseling, but also instilled in her the knowledge that her family will always come first no matter what life throws at her. “I have three children; Jalen, Briann, and Jocelyn. And my husband Brian and I have a dog named Polo,” she says. My support system is my family — my parents, my sister, my brothers, They continue to be here for me, and that’s the only way I can keep doing this, because it’s a lot.”
Hill stresses how integral this support has been throughout the 10 years of running her business. She even gave her children onsite experience, each of them having worked at Paramount in some capacity. “Free labor,” she laughs. “It’s another benefit of being a business owner. You can kind of give your children some opportunities to learn.”
And it isn’t just her children who have worked with Hill. Paramount partners with Mindset Life Coaching, a business operated by Hill’s sister, Stephanie Johnson. “Stephanie is very creative. So I decided we should collaborate,” she says.
In the office, as both founder and leader of Paramount Counseling, Hill does her best to foster a collaborative environment. “We all work together,” she says. “We have monthly meetings where we talk about the direction
that Paramount is going. We discuss challenges. We talk about what’s good and what’s bad so we can work together as a team.”
Alongside Hill and life coach Johnson are team members Keara Cooper, Licensed Clinical Social Worker; Lisa Hood, Qualified Mental Health Professional; and Ashley Sumner, Licensed Professional Counselor. Each has different focuses and qualifications, which inspires a multi-faceted approach to the mental health services provided.
“Over the years I’ve decided I wanted to expand our services and expand our reach,” she says. “And so, I wanted to bring on people who could offer different types of services. The life coaches and therapists have different specialties, enabling us to can reach more people and in different kinds of capacities.”
When asked about the evolution of Paramount Counseling, and what she hopes for the future of the business, Hill expresses her desire for further growth. “I would love to have maybe another location somewhere in Hampton Roads,” she says. She also explains how her overall goal will always be to make mental health services accessible to all.
Paramount Counseling currently offers telehealth therapy, life coaching services and psychoeducational group meetings to help teens develop healthy emotional regulation, but as Hill asserts, the team is always looking for ways to provide even more for their community.
TO THE POINT:
Paramount Counseling Inc.
Address: 105 Nat Turner Blvd., Newport News, VA 23606
Contact: Dr. Jacqueline Hill, Ed.D, LPC, founder
Phone: 757-599-0800
Website: paramountcounselinginc.com
