Marjorie Jo Chesebro

 About the Author ~ Marjorie Jo Chesebro

     I received a diagnosis of Bipolar I Disorder at the age of 19 years when I experienced my first manic episode. Although my mental illness does not define me, its daily ramifications color my existence.

     Since my high school years, I have dabbled in poetry as a means of self-expression, as cathartic release, and as a way to bare my soul. I have been a member of the poetry group, Denton Poets’ Assembly, since April of 2014. My poetry was featured in the Merging Visions exhibition and catalogue in 2015 and 2016. Two of my poems are scheduled to be a part of Merging Visions 2017. Merging Visions is collaboration between poets of Denton Poets’ Assembly and artists of the Visual Arts Society of Texas. Sometimes a poem is inspired by a work of art and sometimes the artist is inspired to draw or paint or sculpt upon reading a particular poem.

 

     My educational path led me to Ohio for undergrad where I majored in Prelaw and minored in Psychology. I relocated from Michigan to Texas in 1997. I received my Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in 2002 and my Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Argosy University—Dallas in 2007.

     I am currently employed as an Associate Clinical Psychologist in Denton, Texas. I am a Licensed Psychological Associate (LPA) and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). My work since graduating with my MA in Clinical Psychology in 2007 has primarily focused on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and/or Autism Spectrum Disorders who often have co-occurring mental illness. Other focus groups have been children, pre-teen, and teen victims of sexual abuse and individuals with substance abuse issues combined with criminal behaviors.

     In my spare time I enjoy studying systems that help explain human personality and behavior including:  Astrology, the Enneagram, and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. I also enjoy reading novels and memoirs, listening to music, scrap-booking, and spending time in nature. Places such as the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens and the Dallas Arboretum hold special appeal.