Healing the world with Holistic Psychology
Ever since she was young, Dr. Jazmin Burns was the ‘go-to’ person for her friends and family to discuss personal issues, share their innermost feelings, and divulge deep, dark secrets. And every single time, she managed to allay their fears. Over the years, she realized she needed an official way to be able to help more people, and this set her on the path of Holistic Psychology.
Today, as the Founder and CEO of Burns Virtual Psychological Solutions, she is an international award-winning Clinical Psychologist specializing in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, Psychological Testing, and Immigration Evaluations. She was also a co-facilitator of Sankofa, a free parent support group for families raising African American/Black children with disabilities, and served as California’s Children’s Mental Health Champion for two years.
“I was driven to help people. Myself and some of my family members were bullied in school. However, we all reacted to our stressors very differently… it made me wonder why we all reacted differently, which led me to look more into psychology.”
Jazmin graduated from UC Davis in 2013 with a B.A. in English and a minor in Psychology. In 2015, she started her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Alliant International University in Sacramento, CA, and then continued on to complete her Doctorate of Psychology (Psy.D.) in 2019.
While studying, Jazmin worked as a Research Assistant at the UC Davis MIND Institute. “I loved my work with autistic children. The way the kids perceived the world was unique.” Jazmin then moved to trauma work with kids, teens, and finally, adults. “My biggest inspiration was my younger brother who was mistreated by other kids in school. My parents had a hard time finding mental health professionals to help him and were thoroughly confused by the process. I never want anyone to feel how they all felt… hopeless and invalidated.”
The next decade saw Jazmin work across research clinics, VA hospitals, community mental health sites, and private practice… and emerge as a leading Clinical Psychologist. Licensed under the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), she can counsel clients in over 40 states in the US. But her passion is only one – to impact as many lives as possible. “When parents who’ve been trying to get the correct diagnosis for their child for 5 years tell me that I’m the first doctor who really listened to them, it drives me to push the boundaries further.”
By the end of 2021, Jazmin gathered the courage to establish her own private practice – Burns Virtual Psychological Solutions. “It was a crazy time. I had just had a baby and moved to Texas, yet I really wanted the autonomy, flexibility, and freedom to help people the way I wanted to without the limitations of working in a system. I started doing Autism testing all by myself and in a year and a half, grew to a 4-person team in what has become a one-stop-shop for psychological and holistic services.”
At Burns Virtual Psychological Solutions, Jazmin specializes in Diagnostic Evaluations and Psychotherapy. She and her team partner with pediatricians, law firms, community mental health centers, and psychiatrists to provide psychological evaluations and support services. Following a Neuro-affirmative approach, they also provide Speech therapy, Social skills training, Postnatal counseling, Parent-Early Start Denver Model (P-ESDM), and Yoga. “We offer Yoga as we believe in the importance of the mind-body spiritual connection. We follow a person-centered approach and meet clients wherever they are in their healing journey.”
One of the most specialized things they do is Immigration/Naturalization Evaluations. Pioneers in the field, Dr. Burns and her team take a collaborative approach with patients and attorneys and work with an interpreting service to service bilingual and multilingual families. “To hear people’s stories of resilience and see them win their case is soul-satisfying,” shares Jazmin.
A self-made woman, Jazmin has carved a niche for herself in many small, myriad ways. “I think we stand out by virtue of being completely virtual. It was a conscious choice to increase access to care. In addition, we’re transparent with regard to fees, processes, etc. We let the people question us, assess if we’re the right fit, and do a lot of hand-holding.”
In a salute to her commitment, Jazmin was recently named a CREA Global Awards honoree for her work in the field of Psychology. What has been her biggest challenge, we ask her. “I tend to take on a lot. But once I became a mom, I realized I needed to slow down and learn how to prioritize. Thankfully, I had the support of my family, especially my husband. He never fails to notice when I’m tired and encourages me to take a break. I do the same with my team. I always tell them – We can’t pour from an empty cup. “If we can’t give to ourselves, we can’t help our families or clients.”
Empathetic, approachable and skilled, Dr. Jazmin Burns has all that it takes to be an effective clinical psychologist. Summing up her mantra in one line, she says, “From trying something new… to seeking mental health support, don’t ever let fear hold you back.”
