Meet Lisa Jacqueline (jacq) Starrett | Trauma Psychologist and Actor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Jacqueline (jacq) Starrett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa Jacqueline (Jacq), how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I’m a hopeless work addict. My whole life has been about putting as much into a day as possible. I would work until I was sick then keep working. That’s not a good life. One day I looked up and realized I was really lonely. The past two years has been about restructuring priorities, with family and friends at the center. And honestly, it’s been wonderful. When I was constantly working, there was always this fear of wasting time- that we’re on this earth for a short amount of time, so I need to accomplish as much as possible. But sharing moments with loved ones is actually what life is about. I’m still working on finding the balance between work and loved ones, and honestly a lot of the solution has been planning “work” hangs as an excuse to spend time with friends. But when you love what you do and love the people you do it with, that’s the most fulfilling life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I actually started as a trauma psychologist- working with survivors of violence and abuse. That was the “day job” so to speak, and acting was the “hobby.” As time went on, acting started paying the bills more and more until, to my utter surprise and joy, acting became the day job and psychology the hobby. I consider acting and psychology the two halves of my heart, and each skill enhances the other. I truly believe acting makes me a better at working in mental health and vice-versa.

Balancing both acting and psychology has been… hard. To say the least. I racked up thousands of miles on my old Dodge pick-up truck driving 2 hours each way between college classes, auditions, and acting classes. I ultimately put school on pause and moved from Utah to Los Angeles. “It’ll be just 3 months,” I told myself. “I’ll fail and at least be able to say that I tried.” Well, 3 months turned into 6 months, which turned into 2 years. Eventually, my school told me to “come back or else” (I was on a full-ride scholarship), so I did. I crammed every class I could into one semester so I could make it back to LA as soon as possible. Those 3 months are an absolute blur, but I adored every moment and believe they shaped me as a person. I graduated Summa Cum Laude, worked on several research teams, published my thesis paper, and volunteered at organizations that helped children and adults living in unimaginable circumstances. The fire for psychology had been relit and could never again be put out.

Today, acting is still my primary career but psychology hangs out right along side it. I volunteer for two amazing organizations- Peace Over Violence, which helps survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence, and Project Contrast, which supports LGBTQ+ youth in rural areas and helps amplify their voices. I’ve even gotten to combine the two halves of my heart through a career in Mental Health Coordinating for tv and film! I’m now a Board Member for the Association of Mental Health Coordinators and love every minute I get to support thoughtful, effective storytelling around trauma and mental health challenges.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well we’d definitely have to go surfing a few times- Venice Breakwater is my favorite area at the moment, but El Porto is great too. While we’re in the area, we’ll have to stop at Lodge Bakery for the best bread in LA. There’s always great shows happening in LA, so I’d probably want to take them to at least 2- one on a big stage and one in a little black box theater. If they’ve never been to the Flower District, that’s always a fun area to wander around- maybe even hit up the Grand Central Market afterwards. But if they want the BEST food around, we’ll make a trip to San Gabriel Valley of course. If they’re my friend they’re probably a nerd who loves the outdoors, so we’ll balance our time between visiting museums, hiking in Malibu, and playing card games/doing puzzles at home. Maybe I’ll even through a trivia night party for them to meet all my friends.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Mark Tillman-Briggle (casting director and acting coach) had a huge influence on the actor I’ve become, and honestly, the person I’ve become. I aspire to live life with the love and thoughtfulness that he does. Mark quite literally helped me find my voice- he recognized that I was constricting my vocal chords and put me on a path to learning how to control and be confident in how I speak. His grounded approach to acting enhanced the way I thought about the craft, and I attribute a lot of my current style to his training. I can confidently say all the fun projects I’ve had the pleasure of working on, and characters I’ve been honored to portray, can be connected back to skills I learned from Mark.

Instagram: @lisajstarrett

Other: TikTok: @redhaircarebear

Image Credits
Mike Johnson, JK Wong, Alexandra Bailey, Lauren Tatman