“During my teenage years, I had an impactful encounter with a motivational speaker. It helped me to believe that I could overcome the challenges I faced. Despite my introverted nature, I felt God calling me to use my voice to inspire others, just as I had been inspired. It became my personal mission to be an encourager and to bring hope to those in despair. This mission guided my decision to pursue studies in the field of Psychology. I thought to myself… “if I want to inspire people, I must first understand people.” Along the way, circumstances in life led me to see the importance of faith. Without my faith in God, it would not be possible for me to promote hope, motivate change and inspire others.”

-Jael Kristen Davis, Founder of Faith Steps

B.Sc.

Psychology

First Class Honors, FSS Valedictorian

UWI St. Augustine

2015

M.Sc.

Clinical Psychology

With Distinction

UWI Mona

2018

Professional Experiences

I have worked with and/or participated in projects under varying organizations including but not limited to:

Douglas and Associates Ltd

Rape Crisis Society of Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force

Office of the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

United Nations Development Programme

Children’s Authority of Trinidad and Tobago

Lily Luxe Ltd (Mind and Body Clinic)

My Journey

Born and raised in the vibrant and multicultural nation of Trinidad and Tobago, I became intrigued with differences in human personality, cultural practices and behaviors from an early age. While I often found the process of observing human behavior to be fascinating, I was at times discouraged when I encountered the “not so good sides” of human interaction. Overwhelmed by exposure to dysfunction in relationships, unfair and oppressive treatment of others, and discriminatory practices, I began asking myself:

  • Can individual, community or organizational change really happen?
  • Do people really heal?
  • Is it not better to keep to yourself and avoid trying to help people?

Even while rigorously engaging in academic and professional pursuits, questions like these made my faith waiver, and the calling I was once confident God had on my life, sometimes felt like a distant memory.

Where has my journey led me?

After obtaining a master’s degree in clinical psychology, I became qualified to practice as an associate and master’s level clinical psychologist in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean. In this capacity, I worked with individuals, couples, families, organizations, and communities. Throughout my work, I was vicariously exposed to broken families, domestic violence, toxic workplaces, and emotional distress experienced by individuals of all backgrounds. This exposure led me to draw several important conclusions about human behavior that I now make every effort to raise awareness on. Some key conclusions I have drawn are as follows:

  • Every human being has fought battles and faced trials in their life.
  • Many people are doing the best they can, based on what they have learned.
  • An individual diagnosed with a depressive disorder can laugh and find joy again.
  • A married couple who has been through the worst of storms, growing to hate each other, can find love again.
  • A child’s main desire and need is to be loved and protected.
  • Pride is, and will always be the downfall of many individuals, groups, organizations and societies.
  • No group or organization is perfect, but an openness and willingness to learn and become more aware leads to unlimited success for individuals, groups and organizations.
  • Broken homes are often at the core of social ills.
  • Effective social policies and programs play a crucial role in promoting positive behavioral, social and systemic change.

Restored Faith….

Perhaps the most important conclusion I have drawn from my experiences is this:

Change, growth and healing require vulnerability and humility that unfortunately, not everyone will embrace. Many may choose not to change and sometimes, the desired change is not achieved. But, faith – believing that the desired outcome is already achieved before seeing it, makes attaining any change possible.

Where do I stand now? I believe that:

  • Regardless of their history, people can become better versions of themselves, one step at a time in faith.
  • Being able to reach or help only some people is better than helping no one at all.
  • The remedy to a broken family, organization and society is not reclusion, it’s community. No one person can do it on their own; choosing community and togetherness, though sometimes difficult, paves the way for success and healing.

Today, my faith is restored, not because I think my qualifications and professional experiences on their own prepare me to help others, but because I can testify that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all any of us can ask or think according to the power that works in us (Ephesians 3:20). I now envision a society where individuals of all social and cultural backgrounds will have access to sufficient safe spaces and social services that will equip them with the resources to develop and maintain mental health and well-being. With God’s help and together with a dynamic and multidisciplinary team at Faith Steps, I continue to join forces with public sector agencies, private companies, non-profit organizations and churches in an effort to make this vision a reality.

Learn how I navigate being both a Believer in Christ and Psychologist.