Our Foundation

Just Keep Swimming Counseling was founded in 2019 by Jada Helmer after beginning her counseling career in the nonprofit sector, where she learned how to truly “swim” in this work. From the start, advocacy for mental health has been at the core of her practice. She has had the privilege of supporting survivors of sexual assault, counseling adolescents in diversion programs, and working with adults transitioning out of the penal system.

Originally from Southern Illinois, Jada grew up in a small rural town with a cornfield for a backyard. Much of her childhood was spent exploring the trails of Giant City State Park, which sparked a lifelong connection to nature. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Anthropology from Southern Illinois University and went on to complete her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of North Florida. Jada is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and Qualified Supervisor (QS-MH), providing supervision for future clinicians.

Since moving into the private sector, Jada has continued to expand her clinical expertise through advanced training and leadership roles. She developed a Substance Abuse Group for adolescents and served as Clinical Director of an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for Substance Use Disorders. This experience shaped her belief that addiction treatment should never be one-size-fits-all, and instead requires individualized, evidence-based care tailored to each person’s needs—an approach reflected across all clinicians at JKSC.

Jada is a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification™ Certified Clinician and has received intensive training in DBT Prolonged Exposure (DBT PE) for trauma, as well as Radically Open DBT (RO DBT). She provides individual therapy and RO DBT skills groups and has extensive experience working with adolescents and adults navigating emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal challenges.

Outside of the office, Jada prioritizes her own “life jacket first” approach to self-care. She enjoys hiking, reading, working out, spending time with her pets, connecting with friends, trying new restaurants, and catching up on her favorite TV shows.