Feature Member: Jesse Frechette

1. Tell us a bit about your business.

My business is now called Jesse Frechette and my new email is jesse@jessefrechette.com. My new website will be www.jessefrechette.com (currently in progress but will likely have a landing page very soon). My Center Mindful aspect of my business will still exist and will be under the umbrella of Jesse Frechette, rather than being the sole name of my business, since I do there things besides work out of my Center Mindful studio office. I am the founder and director, and I launched my business in January of 2017 with the intention of supporting the community with greater wellness through mindfulness-based psychotherapy, mindful life coaching, groups, classes, wellness offerings, and events and ceremonies (I am also can facilitate various types of ceremonies and memorial services, and I am a wedding officiant). I have a commitment to diversity, inclusion, intersectionality, and collaboration.

2. How has COVID-19 impacted the daily operations of your business?

Since Covid-19 I have had a reduction in clients for various reasons, including:

clients not having access to a private space for online sessions, a preference for live services in meeting their needs and a disinterest in virtual services, a reduction in income or concerns about future financial stability, a saturation of virtual meetings and the shift to a higher percentage of time spent on technology.

3. How has your business been adapting to the challenges presented by the pandemic?

I have had to transfer my sessions to Zoom, and I have begun offering some free mindfulness services via Facebook Live to support the community during this pandemic. Due to the need to rely more heavily on technology I had to invest in a new computer (mine was 10 years old), and the time spent on onboarding various forms of technology has taken away from time spent developing new business. I have also had to discount my class fees since the quality of the experience for people may not be the same as a live opportunity and due to the increase in free or discounted services being offered virtually allowing people to access services outside of their local businesses.

More Information:

My websites: www.centermindful.org and www.jessefrechette.com, my Facebook Pages: Jesse Frechette (where my twice a day free half hour guided mindfulness practice “Mindfulness on the 9’s,” takes place), and Center Mindful, which is my mindfulness studio page, as well as my Center Mindful Instagram page. My Linked-in is Jesse Frechette, LCSW.

I received my Masters in Social Policy & Practice from University of Pennsylvania in 1998, and I am a licensed clinical social worker.