Title: Counselor Educator and Clinician
Company: Jacqueline Baer Mental Health Counseling Services PLLC
Location: Hollis, New York, United States
Vanessa Persaud, counselor educator and clinician at Jacqueline Baer Mental Health Counseling Services PLLC, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Health Care Professionals for dedication, achievements, and leadership in social services, rehabilitation and counseling.
Raised in a family with a legacy of doctors, teachers and pastors, Dr. Persaud found herself on the path toward mental health work from a young age. Though she tragically lost her father at a young age, he taught her the importance of education, and that principle was carried forward by her mother and grandparents. Across seven consecutive summers beginning in high school, Dr. Persaud worked in volunteer roles in hospitals, including frequent placement in psychiatric units. These experiences provided her with many opportunities to watch and learn from skilled psychiatrists, psychologists and general doctors, informing her future choices to pursue the field as a career.
Dr. Persaud initially put her expertise to use as a teacher, serving as a professor at St. John’s University from 2015 to 2021 and at Thomas University from 2022 to 2023. Despite becoming an adjunct professor at the young age of 21, she was entrusted with teaching challenging courses covering such subjects as psychopharmacology, research, assessment and ethics.
Following her experiences in academia, Dr. Persaud has embraced her skill as a counselor and mental health practitioner. She currently holds dual roles as counselor educator and clinician at Jacqueline Baer Mental Health Counseling Services PLLC, where she specializes in grief, addiction, Christian faith-based counseling, trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. Dr. Persaud has demonstrated her ability to handle a wide range of other concerns, including relationship issues, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, depression, substance abuse, anger management and more. She is a passionate advocate for approaching counseling for minority patients in a way that respects and understands their ethnic background. As such, Dr. Persaud has expanded her practice to include counseling services focused on such minority cultures as Indo-Guyanese and East Indian, serving patients whose cultural norms may be misunderstood by other counselors and clinicians. In addition to counseling patients herself, she also supervises and trains new counselors, emphasizing self-care and leaving them more likely to succeed moving forward.
After gaining early experience as a volunteer, Dr. Persaud sought to solidify her knowledge through a deeper education, beginning with a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in Christian theology from St. John’s University. In 2015, she obtained a Master of Science in clinical mental health counseling from the same institution. Subsequently, Dr. Persaud earned a PhD in counselor education and supervision from Capella University in 2023. She has further backed up the fundamentals of her career with certification in counseling for grief, trauma and substance abuse. Dr. Persaud is licensed as a mental health counselor and has achieved national certification as a counselor. She maintains membership in the New York Mental Health Counselors Association and the American Counseling Association.
In considering her success, Dr. Persaud points to three key influences: the love and support of her parents and grandparents, the belief in education instilled in her by her father, and her faith. She has elaborated on her relationship with spirituality in her first published book, “How Jesus Helped Me With My Grief.” This book begins with the story of Dr. Persaud’s struggles after her father’s unexpected passing and how it led her to embrace her faith. Through this story, readers gain insight into why she is so uniquely positioned to provide faith-based counseling, especially in instances of grief and loss.
Since publishing that book in 2024, which Dr. Persaud considers the highlight of her career, she has received considerable positive feedback. She is preparing her second book, titled “Jesus Christ: The Miracle Worker,” for publication and has plans for several more books in the coming years. Through her writing, Dr. Persaud intends to empower young readers with clinical and patient perspectives on a variety of mental health topics. She hopes to inform young people while supporting them with guidance toward greater hope and self-worth. Dr. Persaud’s passion for writing and research reflects her dedication to meaningfully improving society through mental health care and counseling. She aims to achieve impact both locally and globally.
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