Jessica Joel, MA

A little about me

I'm a trauma-informed, client-centered therapist committed to creating a safe, grounded space where you can feel seen, respected, and supported as you move through pain toward healing, growth, and change.

Supporting adolescents and adults navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, attachment wounds, relational pain, and cultural or life transitions is a sacred privilege, as I often witness people reclaim hope, a renewed sense of self, and meaningful change in their lives. I take a strength‑based and systemic approach, getting to know you not only through the struggles you carry, but also through your relationships, cultural story, and the larger systems that have shaped your life.

Together, we can build skills for managing overwhelming emotions, tolerating distress, and finding a deeper sense of inner steadiness using Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I also draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to support trauma healing, identity rebuilding, and post-traumatic growth. For younger clients—or anyone who finds words alone hard to reach—I incorporate play therapy and guided imagery as gentler, more creative ways to process pain.

I have a special heart for supporting refugees, immigrants, and people from diverse cultural backgrounds who are carrying grief, compounded loss, bicultural stress, and relational wounds. I also support clients facing addiction with a nonjudgmental, collaborative approach called Motivational Interviewing, meeting you where you are and honoring your pace of change. I'm trained in Spiritual First Aid, offering care and presence for spiritual questions, wounds, and seasons of crisis.

In addition to specialized training, my own journey as a therapist includes six years in northern India supporting psychosocial resilience in marginalized communities through a medical association's community health program. As a staff therapist at The Center, I will be working under the supervision of Dr. Patricia Francis, OP.

I look forward to the opportunity to help you reconnect with your God-given dignity, strength, and capacity for restoration.