Board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Jessica Clemons, MD, is influencing the world of mental health through social media and beyond. Known affectionately as Dr. Jess, the sought-after health professional is committed to reducing the stigma associated with mental illness — especially in the Black community.

"Growing up in the south with a Black family, [mental health] just wasn't something that we talked a lot about," Clemons told For(bes) the Culture in an interview. "I ultimately decided to pursue it… and made a career out of it."

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Beyond Clemons' Instagram community, the mental health expert is a recurring media guest on television and was tapped in 2018 to record the first live televised therapy session with VH1 and The Breakfast Club's Charlamagne the God. In Session Live With, Dr. Jess brought mental health therapy to the masses. She continues that tradition with her podcast, Be Well, and an audiobook of the same name. Be Well: A Guide to Better Mental Health for All was released last fall via audible.

"I'd like my legacy to be as a pioneer in destigmatizing mental illness, particularly through my innovative use of communication tools like social media," Clemons tells BET.