About me.

My name is Jake Ernst and I’m just trying to help. I help people navigate the stress of modern life so they can feel good, think clearly, and make choices that support their wellbeing. I’m a naturally curious person and I ask a lot of deep questions. These big questions often drive a lot of my writing and personal reflection. Professionally, I am trained as a social worker and therapist. I’m a helper at my core.

My why.

I want to live in a world where people feel safe to be who they are with the people they love. I do this work as an active contribution to the wellbeing of others. As a therapist, I help people process hardship and build personal skillsets so they can create a life they’re proud of.

I believe self-development is for all of us, which is why I’ve been writing and building community on Instagram and Facebook for the last five years. I envision a world where everyone has the skills and capacity to deepen their knowledge of themselves in order to live a rich and meaningful life.

My values.

I have three north-star values which help me put my why into action:

• Authenticity. Being yourself means being free to express who you are, what you’re going through, and what’s on your mind. Authenticity means being me.

• Connection. What’s the point of being yourself if you have no one to do it with? To me, there is no one without an other. As a social species, we need each other in order to survive. Connection means being us.

• Creativity. I define creativity as an outer expression of our inner experience. To be creative is to innovate and make something with intention; an intention to express, to process, to escape, to be present, to transform, to connect. Creativity is the bridge between being me and being us.

What you can expect.

This is the space where I’ll be writing about the themes discussed above, as well as the current trends and modern issues I’m noticing in my roles as a therapist, friend, family member, partner, and colleague. I hope for this to be a supportive offering where you can explore a challenge you’re experiencing, think more deeply about a topic, or feel like you’re not alone. You can look forward to posts about modern stress, modern life, and modern relationships.

As always, I welcome your feedback and will respond to respectful dialogue. Where comments are enabled, please engage with kindness. By way of reminder, please note this is not a replacement for professional care and subscribing to this platform does not constitute a therapeutic relationship.

Well, there you have it! If you choose to be a supporter of my work (more on how to do that below), please know that I appreciate your generosity. You can keep up with my work via Instagram, Facebook, and Threads. You can also check out my website and listen to my podcast, This Isn’t Therapy.

I’m rooting for all of us.

Just trying to help,

Jake

Support Just trying to help.

You can support my work and writing on Substack in a fews ways, for which I am deeply grateful. Using the button below, you can subscribe to receive my free weekly newsletter or you can become a paid supporter of my work to access bonus materials such as archived newsletters, guided audio prompts for journalling and reflection, videos, and playlists.