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Meet the Counselors: Frank Jacob, LSW
Frank Jacob, LSW had been an educator for many years when he decided it was time to move in a different direction. While reflecting on his career, Frank realized that he truly enjoyed talking to people, hearing their stories, and helping them with different challenges they were facing.
“People would come and talk to me about what’s going on in their lives, and I would help them with a problem,” Frank said. “That was the most rewarding part of education for me. When I had my own experience with counseling as an adult and saw how much it helped me learn about myself, that provided me with the motivation to make a change.”
Frank already had a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in mathematics from Montclair State University and a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and minor in physics from Seton Hall University. He then completed an internship with Nutley Family Service Bureau (NFSB) on his way to earning a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Rutgers University School of Social Work.
“As my internship went on, it confirmed how rewarding the work is,” Frank said. “I also realized that NFSB is a great place to learn and grow. I’m surrounded by quality people who are always willing to help and share ideas, and I’ve always felt supported and welcome. I think our clients see and appreciate that.”
Frank enjoys helping people struggling with repetitive behaviors by helping them not only understand the underlying causes, but also by providing clarity about who they are and why they behave the way they do.
“I take a psychoanalytical approach that makes connections between how someone is feeling and acting now, how those feelings and actions have been repeating, and where this is coming from,” Frank said. “The way we behave and function now is often the result of years of behavioral training from our upbringing, or how we’ve learned to survive and have needs met, or not have needs met. My approach is to listen and acknowledge what someone is going through and help them understand how their past may be contributing to how they feel and behave.”
For someone dealing with a traumatic event, the approach is different because there’s a direct connection with a specific experience. In other cases, connecting the dots between what’s happening behind the scenes is important to creating awareness of decision making that leads to repetitive behaviors.
“I believe my greatest strengths involve understanding how a person’s environment and behaviors have become intertwined through years of functioning,” Frank said. “Someone might function a certain way because they had to, even if it’s not the way they wanted. It’s important to understand how and why this happened and how that could be affecting the person today.”
Frank knows he has been an effective counselor when clients are able to make those connections, handle situations differently, and feel better about themselves as a result.
“When we’re in a session and the client is able to articulate how they’ve recognized certain situations and feelings and made positive changes, that’s very rewarding,” Frank said. “I encourage anyone who feels like they just want to be heard – and want someone to listen – to give Nutley Family Service Bureau a try. That’s why we’re here.”
