Meet Jodie Knott, Ph.D., BCBA | Licensed Psychologist and Therapeutic Camp Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jodie Knott, Ph.D., BCBA and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jodie, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind the success of my businesses is tenacity. Being persistent and sticking with building a brand over time despite adversity has been critical over the course of my career. There are so many obstacles when owning your own business, having a problem-solving mindset and being willing to pivot at a moments notice, is essential for a small business.

Building trust with clients has been a cornerstone of my business. It’s an honor and a privilege to provide therapeutic services to children, adults, and families. My business began with a passion to help children and redevelop mindsets for lifelong success. Due to our approach, we’ve been able to develop a relationship with the community, which has resulted in a strong referral base, which is always the highest compliment.

Being passionate about program development is another factor that sets my company apart. Finding new ways to teach the latest, proven interventions, in a way that is fun and accessible to children and families excites me. When kids with mild to moderate social, emotional, and behavioral concerns can play with a purpose at my camp, the most dramatic learning happens. Recently, I’ve added a component to my business that provides educational resources to both parents and teachers, to support their own wellbeing when feeling burnt out and needing to feel inspired and rejuvenated. We are building additional resources to support parents and teachers in helping children with neurodiversity thrive in their homes and classrooms.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business has three branches:
1) I have a private practice where we provide assessment, therapy, and consultation for children, adults, and families. We provide services to children and adults with a variety of mental health concerns, with our specialties being ADHD, high functioning Autism, learning differences, and mood disorders.
2) I also own and direct, Quest Therapeutic Camps of Southern California, a 4-week summer day camp for children 5 to 18, with mild to moderate social, emotional, and/or behavioral difficulties.
3) We’ve recently added additional resources such as online courses, handouts, and templates that focus on supporting parents and teachers who support children with ADHD and high functioning autism. I also am launching a 6-week challenge for parents and teachers, to help beat burnout, increase energy, boost mood, and increase resilience.

I’m incredibly proud of the Quest Camp program. It’s so rewarding to watch the camp grow since its inception in 2009. I’ve been blessed to have hundreds of children attend our program and there are so many amazing memories and achievements from campers. Being part of a child’s change process, and providing an environment where children can establish their first real friendships, and help show them that they can achieve things beyond their expectations, is always my favorite part. It’s so fulfilling when I receive updates from former campers who are now adults, and are headed to college, getting married, working in the community, even performing at the Hollywood Bowl, and just living with neurodiversity in some beautiful ways.

I have learned many lessons along the journey, including the ability to pivot in order to meet the needs of clients, and that you always get more than you give. I am thankful to have had so many amazing staff over the years who really are the heart of our Quest program.

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.
My favorite spots in the city are the beaches, and the local Mexican food restaurants that the locals know have the best tacos. My favorite is Fiesta Grill in Huntington Beach. I feel at peace when I am on the water, so any excuse to be out on a boat, or on a whale watching trip is a great time. Seeing live music at the Greek Theater and the Hollywood Bowl is an unforgettable LA experience. There are also so many great places to take kids such as Six Flags Magic Mountain and the Science Discovery Cube.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I owe so much to my family including my parents, sister, and extended family. Growing up in an environment of such love, safety, support, and security, allowed me to live my passion, which has been an amazing blessing. My childhood foundation shaped who I am today. It also taught me how to build trusted relationships with clients in both my private practice and camp.

Dr. Phil Oncley has been my mentor and a key influence since the start of my career. He taught me how to have a successful practice, and I am thankful he is still my go to person when I have a question in my business.

Website: www.questcampsfosocal.com www.drjodieknott.com www.questecourses.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/questecourses