“Looking within and at what we’re facing can be a vulnerable and scary
process, but in therapy we can take a look together and understand the
deeper meaning and sources of your suffering, with the knowledge and
hope that relief will come.“
A Note From Jessica:
Sometimes in life, we don’t always fully understand or have a grip on what we’re going through. We find ourselves experiencing strong and sometimes strange thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that we struggle to manage. Sometimes we realize that our responses don’t seem to match or help the situation, and sometimes actually make the situation worse. We feel stuck in the same vicious cycles, regardless of how much we don’t want to engage in them. We’re often just trying to do the best we can to cope and get by.
As a licensed clinical psychologist, this is where I can be of support. Looking within and at what we’re facing can be a vulnerable and scary process, but in therapy we can take a look together and understand the deeper meaning and sources of your suffering, with the knowledge and hope that relief will come. My goal in therapy is not to find someone to blame, but to understand and appreciate the larger context of who you are, how your struggles developed, and what keeps your suffering in place. I have found that processing through these dynamics allows for an experiential process that brings not just helpful insight, but more enduring change. My desire is to get to know your authentic self and for you to have a deeper understanding of this self, for I believe it is in this deep knowing within a relationship that allows for deep change. Therapy takes time and can be challenging, but I believe that as we work together to integrate the different parts of yourself and aspects of your life, you will feel more at ease with a wider range of feelings, have an increased ability to regulate, and overall come to live a more meaningful, connected, and centered life.
I currently provide individual therapy for teens, college students, and adults of all ages and from diverse backgrounds. I work with clients who present with a variety of concerns, but largely see those with complex trauma, family of origin issues, perfectionism, and cross-cultural difficulties.
I hold a PhD in clinical psychology from Fuller Graduate School of Psychology and completed my APA-accredited internship at the University of Rochester Counseling Center. For my postdoctoral fellowship, I worked at Boston College University Counseling Services, where I received specialized training in providing therapy using a psychodynamic, multicultural, and developmental approach as well as in facilitating support groups for survivors of sexual assault. When not in the therapy room, you can find me baking new recipes, trying different restaurants in LA, and working for hours on jigsaw puzzles.
I believe the therapist-client relationship is the most important agent of change in therapy. Thus I seek to offer a warm, nonjudgmental, open space that facilitates not only curiosity and self-reflection but overall healing and growth.
Please reach out to begin or continue your therapy journey!