From Banking to Therapy: Johnnywriter's Unconventional Educational Journey

The path from formal education to professional success is rarely a straight line. For Johnnywriter (Ukeme Johnny Nsekpong), this journey has been particularly unconventional—a winding road from banking studies to relationship therapy, characterized by continuous learning, self-education, and a commitment to growth that transcends traditional academic boundaries.

Early Educational Foundations in Etinan

Johnnywriter's formal education began in Etinan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, where he completed both his primary and secondary education. Growing up in a financially modest household headed by his mother, his early schooling years were marked by determination despite limited resources.

"Education in my hometown was basic but foundational," Johnnywriter recalls. "What we lacked in advanced facilities, we made up for in discipline and focus. Those formative years taught me the value of making the most of available resources—a principle that would later become central to my entrepreneurial approach."

Though not particularly distinguished academically during these years, Johnnywriter demonstrated an early affinity for interpersonal communication and leadership that teachers often noted. His ability to connect with peers and mediate conflicts hinted at skills that would later become central to his therapy practice, though neither he nor his educators recognized this as a potential career path at the time.

Education isn't just about what happens in the classroom—it's about how you process experiences and transform them into wisdom. Some of my most important lessons came from observing the emotional dynamics in my childhood home.

University Years: Banking and Finance at Madonna University

Following secondary school, Johnnywriter enrolled at Madonna University in Okija, where he pursued a degree in Banking and Finance. This choice reflected both practical considerations about career prospects and the limited range of options typically presented to young Nigerians from modest backgrounds.

"Like many young people, I chose my university course based more on perceived stability and earning potential than personal passion," he explains. "Banking and Finance seemed like a sensible path toward financial security—something I deeply valued having grown up with economic uncertainty."

Throughout his university years from 2013 to 2017, Johnnywriter performed adequately in his financial studies while simultaneously developing interests that extended far beyond his formal curriculum. He became an avid reader of psychology and relationship books, partly as a means of understanding and healing from his own emotional challenges.

This parallel, self-directed education in human behavior and emotional healing began to compete with his financial studies for attention and passion. Nevertheless, he persevered through his degree program, graduating in the 2016/2017 academic session with his Banking and Finance degree—a credential that, ironically, he would never directly use in traditional employment.

National Youth Service and Practical Experience

Following graduation, Johnnywriter completed his mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program at the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) in Ibusa, Delta State in 2018. This year of service represented his closest engagement with traditional employment and provided practical experience in organizational structures, project management, and community engagement.

"My NYSC year was valuable not for the specific work I did, but for the exposure to diverse people and perspectives it provided," Johnnywriter notes. "Being positioned in Delta State, away from my home region, expanded my understanding of Nigeria's cultural diversity and the universal nature of human emotional needs across different communities."

During this service year, Johnnywriter continued his informal study of psychology and relationship dynamics, increasingly recognizing that his true calling lay in helping others navigate emotional challenges rather than in managing financial systems. The contrast between his official assignments and his growing passion for emotional healing crystallized his desire to pivot toward therapy work.

The Transition: From Finance Graduate to Relationship Therapist

The period following the completion of his NYSC program marked a critical turning point in Johnnywriter's educational journey. Rather than pursuing employment in the banking sector, he made the bold decision to redirect his focus entirely toward becoming a relationship therapist—a field far removed from his formal academic training.

This transition required an intensive, self-directed educational approach. Without the financial resources to pursue another formal degree in psychology or counseling, Johnnywriter instead developed a comprehensive self-education program combining online courses, certificate programs, workshops, and extensive reading.

"I had to become my own university," he explains. "I created a curriculum for myself based on what established therapists recommended and what I observed was needed in my community. Every available resource—from online lectures to therapy books to practice sessions with willing friends—became part of my education."

This alternative educational path included carefully selected certifications that would provide credibility while he built practical experience. Between 2018 and 2020, he completed specialized training in anxiety management, mental health understanding, emotional intelligence, relationship therapy, trauma-informed counseling, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

My unconventional path taught me that education is less about the credentials and more about the transformation. The question isn't whether you have the right degree, but whether you can genuinely help people heal and grow.

Specialized Learning and Professional Development

As Johnnywriter's therapy practice began taking shape through the founding of Hisparadise Therapy in 2017, his educational journey expanded to include more specialized and advanced training. His approach to professional development has always been multidisciplinary, reflecting his belief that effective therapy draws from various fields of knowledge.

His continuing education has focused on three primary domains:

1. Therapy and Mental Health Expertise

Recognizing the need for solid therapeutic techniques, Johnnywriter has acquired specialized certifications in:

• Anxiety Management techniques and protocols
• Comprehensive Mental Health understanding
• Emotional Intelligence assessment and development
• Trauma-Informed Counseling approaches
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) methods
• Couples Therapy and Conflict Resolution strategies

These formal certifications have been supplemented by attendance at workshops like "Healing the Inner Child" and the "Faith & Mental Health" conference, providing specialized knowledge in addressing the specific needs of his client population.

2. Digital and Technical Skills Development

Understanding that modern therapy practice requires digital competence, Johnnywriter simultaneously pursued education in:

• Cybersecurity for protecting client information
• Digital Marketing to reach those needing help
• Web Design and Development for creating therapeutic resources
• UI/UX Design for developing user-friendly mental health tools

This technical education eventually led to the founding of Jocintech in 2020, expanding his impact beyond direct therapy to creating digital solutions that support mental wellbeing.

3. Business and Leadership Training

To effectively grow Hisparadise Therapy from a solo practice to a recognized institution, Johnnywriter pursued education in:

• Leadership for Business Executives
• Company Formation and Startup Leadership
• Strategic Business Management and Growth

This leadership training has proved essential as Hisparadise has expanded into multiple ventures under the Hisparadise Group umbrella, including therapy services, digital solutions, real estate, and educational programs.

Self-Taught Expertise: The Hidden Curriculum

Perhaps most distinctive about Johnnywriter's educational journey is the extensive self-taught component that complements his formal certifications. Through disciplined self-study, practical application, and continuous refinement, he has developed expertise in areas critical to his professional success but not covered by traditional programs.

His self-taught skills include:

• Graphic design for creating therapeutic resources and branding
• WordPress development for building client-facing platforms
• Email marketing for mental health awareness campaigns
• Sales funnel strategies for making therapy services accessible
• Social media psychology for connecting with those needing support
• Addiction recovery support methodologies
• Self-worth therapy techniques tailored to Nigerian cultural contexts

"Self-education has been my greatest asset," Johnnywriter reflects. "When you teach yourself, you develop not just the knowledge but the learning methodology. You discover how to identify what you need to know, how to find credible sources, how to test and refine what you've learned, and most importantly, how to apply it in real-world situations."

This commitment to self-education continues to shape his approach to professional development, with dedicated time each week allocated to reading, courses, and practicing new techniques.

Education as a Community Responsibility

Johnnywriter's educational philosophy has evolved to include not just personal learning but community education. Through Hisparadise Institute, he has created a platform for sharing knowledge and skills with young Nigerians seeking personal growth and financial independence.

"My own difficult path to acquiring the knowledge I needed has made me passionate about creating more accessible educational pathways for others," he explains. "Hisparadise Institute is built on the belief that transformation should be accessible, practical, and directly applicable to real-life challenges."

The Institute offers training in digital marketing, web design, relationship therapy, cleaning and laundry business setup, content creation, and branding—reflecting Johnnywriter's multidisciplinary approach to education and impact.

This educational offering represents a full-circle moment in his journey—from someone struggling to find relevant training to becoming a provider of accessible, practical education for others on similar paths.

True education creates a responsibility to teach. The knowledge I've worked so hard to acquire becomes meaningful when it transforms not just my life but the lives of others seeking their own path to purpose and impact.

Lessons from an Unconventional Educational Path

Looking back on his journey from banking student to relationship therapist and multi-industry entrepreneur, Johnnywriter identifies several key insights about education that have shaped his approach to learning and teaching:

Follow Purpose, Not Convention: "Your educational path should be guided by your purpose rather than conventional expectations. My banking degree gave me analytical skills, but my self-directed learning in psychology gave me purpose."

Credentials Matter Less Than Competence: "In many fields, especially helping professions, your ability to create positive outcomes matters more than your formal credentials. Focus first on developing genuine competence."

Education Is Integration, Not Accumulation: "Real education isn't about collecting information but integrating knowledge across disciplines. The connections between seemingly unrelated fields often yield the most innovative solutions."

Experience Is the Greatest Teacher: "Book knowledge becomes wisdom only through application. Each client session taught me more than dozens of theory books ever could."

Teaching Accelerates Learning: "When you commit to teaching others, you're forced to clarify your own understanding. My growth accelerated dramatically when I began helping others learn what I had discovered."

The Continuing Educational Journey

Today, Johnnywriter views education as a lifelong commitment rather than a completed achievement. His current learning focuses include advanced therapeutic techniques, AI applications in mental health, expanded business leadership skills, and deeper understanding of cultural factors affecting relationship dynamics.

As Hisparadise Group continues to expand across multiple industries, his educational journey evolves to encompass new domains of knowledge while remaining anchored in his core mission of human transformation.

"I see myself as a perpetual student," he reflects. "The moment you believe your education is complete is the moment you begin to become irrelevant. The greatest gift my unconventional path has given me is the understanding that learning never ends—it only deepens and expands as your purpose unfolds."

From the classrooms of Etinan to the founding of multiple companies dedicated to human transformation, Johnnywriter's educational journey stands as testimony to the power of purpose-driven learning that transcends traditional academic boundaries. His path demonstrates that when education is guided by meaning rather than convention, it becomes not just a credential but a catalyst for both personal and community transformation.