Hi, I’m Jess (they/them)

I’m a licensed mental health counselor in 3 states and a Registered Art Therapist (ATR) nationwide. I am also a PhD student studying Art Therapy at Dominican University of California. I live in Los Angeles.

I hold a master’s in Applied Psychology from Antioch University Seattle, where I studied Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Creative Arts Therapies. I earned certificates of Adlerian study and Adlerian psychotherapy from the North American Society of Adlerian Psychology. I also have a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Fine Art, which I use to be an educator- 22 years and counting.

Before becoming a therapist I was a therapy client for a long time. During my youth, I made art as a way to cope. Once I learned about art therapy, I already knew it worked because I’d done it with myself! As a teacher, I encountered my students healing through art & our relationship. I believe all people are creative and artistic, even if they have been discouraged since they were very small.

My research has been on: Chronic Illness & Belongingness, Sexual Harm in the Trans/Gender Diverse community, and Art Therapy with people on the Ace/Aro spectrum. I also write and lecture about the connection between creativity and happiness, and am frequently contacted about the education of art therapists. I’m happy to speak to you if you’re interested in becoming an art therapist!

I’m a “spoonie” interested in the link between traumatic relational stress & lowered immune system function. The subsequent increase in inflammatory and disease responses are real. Spoonies have very unique challenges to feeling belonging and inclusion.

I spent many years as a member of various 12-step peer support communities coming to understand the underlying causes behind adult addictive behaviors. I believe that big T and little t traumas are usually part of the recipe. There is a solution. However, if you have been harmed by Alcoholics Anonymous, please reach out for support, as these models can be traumatizing for some people.

I also have a passion for supporting people recovering from the effects of complex relational abuse. These experiences often manifest in codependency which usually comes out sideways- in adult romantic relationships, friendships, and at work- through traits like perfectionism, people pleasing, and anxiety. This is where you get concepts like boundaries work, consent education, reparenting, finding embodied safety, and working with the nervous system.

I have been blessed with a lot of experience counseling men, in particular trans men. I also really enjoy supporting parents or caregivers of trans and/or queer kids as they navigate their inner process in therapy so their kids don’t have to witness it, which can be confusing and incredibly painful for kids.

Some people say that kids are the future, I think parents hold the keys to changing the world. I love the Adlerian teachings on working with kids & teens and am always so excited when I get to share it with parents. A lot of parents will happily spend their money on their kid’s therapy. Rarely do they realize that it’s a whole-family affair that requires they “do their work” too. You can do it. There is a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow!