Jaclyn Fortier Expands Empowerment Mission With New Tools for Mental Health Resilience
In an ever-changing world, resilience isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. For Jaclyn Fortier, licensed counselor and founder of Carolina Counseling Wellness Associates, mental resilience is more than a buzzword. It’s a lived philosophy, shaped by experience and rooted in purpose. Her latest focus? Helping others build emotional strength by embracing life’s currents rather than resisting them.
She was born in Connecticut and later served in the U.S. Navy before embarking on a path of academic and personal reinvention. A first-generation college graduate, Fortier earned her bachelor’s degree from UNC Greensboro and went on to receive her master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lenoir-Rhyne University.
Resilience, Redefined
Ask Jaclyn Fortier about resilience, and she won’t talk about being tough. She’ll talk about being fluid. “Resiliency is like water,” she often tells her clients. “It’s learning to go with the current of life, not fight it.” For her, resilience is a quiet strength, something flexible, self-aware, and deeply personal.
Rather than teaching people how to “bounce back,” Fortier helps them navigate forward, carrying with them the lessons of challenge, loss, and change. In her view, these experiences aren’t roadblocks. They’re teachers.
Learning to Listen Inward
A core part of Fortier’s approach is helping others become fluent in their own emotional language. “We each grow through different pathways,” she explains. “But we all benefit from learning how to listen to our thoughts and feelings without judgment.”
This inner work becomes the foundation for self-trust, something she believes is key to building long-term mental resilience. Fortier encourages people to become students of themselves: to observe, reflect, and engage with their emotional lives like an ongoing learning mission, rather than something to fix or silence.
Small Shifts, Long-Term Strength
Instead of offering rigid wellness routines, Fortier invites clients to integrate accessible, meaningful practices into their day. That might mean a few minutes of stillness before the morning rush, a walk outside to reset, or journaling to notice emotional patterns. Her goal isn’t perfection; it is presence.
“Resiliency and empowerment, which is the power within yourself. Keep going and growing. A lifelong, keep learning mission,” says Fortier. It’s a message that resonates, especially for those rebuilding after adversity or simply seeking to reconnect with their purpose.
Built on Experience, Shared with Purpose
Fortier’s voice carries a rare kind of weight: lived experience. As a young mother navigating adversity before graduate school, she learned firsthand what it meant to rebuild from scratch. Before founding her practice, she balanced work, parenthood, and military service: experiences that shaped her holistic, empathetic approach to mental wellness. Today, she channels those lessons into her work with Carolina Counseling Wellness Associates, offering more than therapy: perspective, tools, and a deep belief in what’s possible.
Through writing, consulting, and counseling, she continues to create safe spaces where healing and growth are not just possible, they’re expected. Her approach isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s individual, holistic, and rooted in the belief that everyone holds the ability to rise.
About Jaclyn Fortier
Jaclyn Fortier is a licensed counselor, founder, and advocate for self-empowerment, mental health, and wellness. After experiencing adversity as a young mother before attending graduate school, she built her life from the ground up, founding counseling centers in North Carolina. Today, Jaclyn helps others heal through the power of story. She speaks, writes, and consults on topics ranging from psychological safety in the workplace to emotional resilience. A former Navy service member and first-generation college graduate, Jaclyn uses her insight and experiences to inspire others to reclaim their own resilience. Born in Connecticut, Fortier is a U.S. Navy veteran and the first in her family to attend college. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and later earned a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lenoir-Rhyne University.
About Carolina Counseling Wellness Associates
Carolina Counseling Wellness Associates is a North Carolina–based mental health practice founded by Jaclyn Fortier. The organization offers trauma-informed, client-centered counseling services and wellness education designed to support individuals on their journey of healing, empowerment, and personal growth. With a focus on emotional resilience, psychological safety, and storytelling as a therapeutic tool, the practice blends traditional therapy with innovative consulting to help clients and organizations thrive.