Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Paris.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
As the founder of Narrative PhotoTherapy, I created a method that blends guided storytelling, reflective dialogue, and portraiture to help individuals process life transitions, grief, and identity shifts. It’s designed to move beyond traditional photography by offering a structured, therapeutic experience that allows clients to see themselves with clarity, compassion, and power.
Through my studio, Saga Media Photography, I launched 100 Faces of Healing, a portrait campaign that uses this approach to document stories of resilience and emotional growth. Each session is carefully curated to capture more than just a likeness, it captures a turning point. This work sits at the intersection of visual art, emotional wellness, and narrative change, giving clients a space to reclaim how they see themselves and how they are seen by others.
My business has grown from a portrait studio into a platform for visibility and transformation. Whether through private sessions or campaign work, my goal is to create images that heal, empower, and tell the truth of someone’s becoming.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but every challenge shaped the strength of the business. When I first started Saga Media Photography, I didn’t have access to a traditional studio space. I found an old storage unit that used to house jet skis and decided to turn it into a photography studio. I remodeled it myself by laying floors, painting walls, and transforming it into a space where clients could feel proud to be photographed. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was mine, and it gave me the foundation to build something real.
That experience taught me how to create something meaningful with limited resources. Today, Saga Media operates out of a 1,600-square-foot storefront studio on a main street in Bedford, Texas. The space now reflects the quality, care, and vision behind the brand, but it all started with my own hands in a space most people would have overlooked. The growth has been steady, and every step has been earned.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m the creator of Narrative PhotoTherapy, a method that uses guided storytelling and portraiture to support emotional healing, especially during moments of transition, grief, or self-reinvention. It’s a structured approach that allows clients to reflect, reframe, and reclaim how they see themselves visually and emotionally. Each session is rooted in therapeutic principles, but instead of talk therapy alone, clients engage in a process that leads to a powerful portrait experience. The image becomes both a mirror and a milestone.
At Saga Media Photography, I specialize in intentional, high-end portraits that center personal stories. Whether it’s an individual session or a community campaign like 100 Faces of Healing, my work focuses on helping people feel seen, not just photographed. What sets my approach apart is the depth of preparation and emotional insight that goes into every image. Clients often walk away with more than photos, they leave with a shift in how they view themselves.
I’m most proud of building a business that combines art, empathy, and impact. Narrative PhotoTherapy doesn’t just create beautiful portraits, it creates breakthroughs. And that’s what makes the work truly meaningful.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
One of the most important qualities behind my success has been vision, the ability to see not just what is, but what’s possible when disciplines come together. My academic background has played a major role in shaping that vision. With advanced degrees in business, multicultural studies, and clinical mental health counseling, I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of identity, healing, and creative expression.
I’m currently completing my doctoral research with a focus on Transformative Leadership, where I’m exploring how photography can be used as a therapeutic tool. My goal is to create a formal bridge between the worlds of visual storytelling and emotional wellness. Through this research, I’m working to establish Narrative PhotoTherapy as a credible, evidence-based approach that can be used by therapists, educators, and healing practitioners around the world.
This blend of education, lived experience, and creative direction allows me to bring something unique to the industry which is an approach that is both artistically rich and psychologically informed. It’s not just about capturing images, but about changing lives through them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.iamjessicaparis.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaparis/
