ABOUT JEROME WEST
A life rebuilt through purpose, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to transformation.
I grew up in a single parent home marked by generational trauma, addiction, depression, and silence. Life required resilience long before I understood the meaning of the word. Food became my place of comfort and protection, and by my mid thirties, I weighed close to five hundred pounds. I felt trapped in patterns that limited my health, my confidence, and my future.
In 2022, I made a decision that changed my entire life. I began the process for gastric sleeve surgery and completed the procedure in 2023. The surgery was a tool, but it was not the solution. The true transformation came through structure, discipline, and consistency. In two years, I lost more than two hundred seventy pounds and rebuilt my relationship with food, health, and identity.
My journey represents what many people battling obesity, emotional eating, stress, and self doubt experience every day. Today, I use the lessons that rebuilt my life to help others through weight management coaching, mindset coaching, and emotional wellness guidance.
THE PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY
More than twenty years of leadership in behavioral health, emotional wellness, and community transformation.
For more than two decades, I have served in behavioral health as a counselor, program manager, educator, prevention specialist, and certified trainer. I have held leadership roles across nonprofit, clinical support, prevention, and community settings, always focusing on building programs that support mental health, addiction recovery, trauma awareness, and long term emotional resilience.
My experience includes:
Executive Director and Founder of the Ohio Behavioral Health Prevention Training Center
Executive Director of the East Cleveland Neighborhood Center
Program Manager for the Grace Initiative, a culturally centered behavioral health program that empowers African American and Brown communities to strengthen emotional wellness
Manager and behavioral health leader in treatment support, prevention services, and community based programming
Developer of the Our Minds Matter Urban Teen Summit, serving more than two hundred fifty students and families
I hold several professional credentials, including:
Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor III
Ohio Certified Prevention Consultant
International Certified Prevention Specialist
Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist
Restorative Practices Trainer
Youth and Adult Mental Health First Aid Instructor
I have also served in higher education for more than ten years as adjunct faculty at Ohio Christian University and Grace Bible College, and as an instructor and faculty mentor for the Adult Career and Technical Education Center in the Canton City Schools. My work in education reflects my dedication to strengthening emotional wellness, academic resilience, and leadership development.
THE MESSAGE
Speaking life. Restoring minds. Strengthening communities.
THE COACH
Weight management coaching that transforms the body and renews the mind.
My personal transformation fuels my passion for coaching individuals who want to rebuild their health and finally break free from emotional eating and unhealthy patterns. As a weight management coach and thought life strategist, I guide clients through a structured, sustainable process designed to help them renew their mindset, strengthen their habits, and reach their goals.
I support clients who want to:
Lose weight with structure and accountability
Build a healthier, lasting relationship with food
Recover and maintain results after gastric sleeve or bariatric surgery
Overcome emotional eating and stress eating cycles
Strengthen their thought life and mindset
Rebuild confidence after years of feeling stuck
My coaching approach is grounded in structure, discipline, and consistency. I do not believe in quick solutions. I believe in a sustainable lifestyle supported by emotional clarity, mindset renewal, and actionable strategies.
As a motivational speaker, emotional wellness educator, and behavioral health leader, I bring a unique blend of lived experience, research, and practical strategy. My speaking style is direct, engaging, compassionate, and grounded in real life transformation.
Organizations book me because I speak to the heart and to the strategy. My presentations inspire personal growth, emotional healing, improved mental health awareness, and stronger family and community relationships.
Most requested keynote presentations include:
The Three C’s of Life: Choices, Careers, and Credentials
A dynamic message about academic success, identity development, and long term achievement.
Brother, Do You Hear Me
A powerful conversation about the emotional health of men, trauma, resilience, and vulnerability.
The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Building Strong Families
A step by step framework for communication, conflict management, and relationship wellness.
These presentations are highly rated by schools, churches, colleges, community organizations, behavioral health agencies, and family centered programs.