Jessica is an Associate Clinical Social Worker specializing in the treatment of children and adolescents, using a variety of therapeutic techniques, including evidenced-based therapies to address children's specific developmental needs and behavioral challenges. With a further specialization in integrating creative sensory and body-based approaches in therapy, Jessica brings warmth, humor, music, and movement into sessions in order to guide kids in developing and practicing the kinds of effective new skills they need in real situations to offset anger, frustration, stress, worries, and overwhelm. With each child or adolescent, Jessica takes the time to learn about the individual and their family, and attempts to tailor her approach to their specific needs, personality and interests.

Jessica takes a positive, optimistic, strengths-based approach to her work, always promoting healing, growth and resilience with every family and every child. Jessica believes in our innate potential of individuals to live their best lives and aims to help each child reach his or her goals. It is this belief and motivation that leads Jessica to practice with creativity and acceptance of multiple views on raising children and different parenting styles. Jessica enjoys working with all kinds of families and finds that her approach can be especially effective in supporting families going through major changes and transitions, such as divorce, moving homes, adoption, the birth of a sibling or sibling issues, peer conflicts and concerns, unexpected losses or life events, school challenges, and children's emotional and behavioral reactions as they try to adjust to bigger changes and what they mean.

Jessica has extensive experience and specialist training in working with childhood stress and traumatic events experienced by kids and families. Sometimes when there has been an extreme event in the life of a child, it takes a team approach to navigate through. Jessica has worked closely with all of the professionals supporting families in crisis, providing understanding and insight into the effects of trauma, grief, and loss on all members of a family system.

Growing up in Southern California, Jessica always knew she wanted to serve her community. Jessica graduated with her Bachelors in Anthropology from University of California, San Diego and later attended Loma Linda University, where she earned a Master of Social Work and Play Therapy Certification. Now, Jessica enjoys working with children, adolescents, and their families, happily being able to offer her time and expertise with a generous spirit. In her free time, Jessica spends her time running, reading, playing games (board games, video games, Dungeons and Dragons… the list goes on!), and spending time with her husband and their two dogs.