Jackie Rawlins
Choosing to become a therapist came from a deep desire to walk alongside people through life’s hardest moments. Over the years, I have had the privilege of supporting individuals and families as they navigate stressful transitions, helping them gently process painful thoughts and feelings while discovering meaningful paths forward. I view therapy as a collaborative partnership—one where your unique story is honored, your challenges are heard with genuine care, and we work together at your pace to create lasting, positive change.
First session
My priority is to hear from the person on their life currently, their perspective on potential changes they'd like to see in their life, and how they've established when their goals are met. Based on those factors, I work to take clinical knowledge along with the client expressing how that can be applied in their life for progress. I utilize applicable standardized tools to also structure potential interventions and conversations with clients. I truly enjoy working with those who feel therapy is a support for their progress.
Strengths
I hope that my clients' experience with me stands out because it feels both respectful of their individuality and humanity while being professional and knowledge-based. My primary goal is that a person feels like they are being understood, not just a diagnosis being treated.
Ideal clients
I feel driven to work with anxiety disorders, depression, and individuals who have experienced traumatic events in their lives. I feel most allied with individuals who are either aware that there is a problem they would like to address or know the problem they would like to address and are looking for tools to address the problems. They are open to modifying their thoughts, behavior, and surroundings.
Origin story
While I was in elementary school, I realized I wanted to work with people for my career. By my psychology class in high school, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. When I was getting my undergraduate degree, my grandparents, whom had been a major emotional support for me, had been diagnosed with dementia. I learned firsthand the stress that can create for individuals and families. My next step was graduate school so that I could become a therapist.
Ongoing work together
By grounding your ongoing work in principles and evidence-based frameworks like CBT, culturally responsive therapy, eclectic approaches to therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and trauma-informed care, sessions naturally transition from internal exploration to tangible, compounding action. As we continue working together, our sessions build intentionally upon one another. We start by uncovering your personal reasons for change and establishing what progress looks like for you. From there, each session blends your real-world experiences with practical, evidence-based tools—allowing us to continuously refine strategies, build your confidence, and ensure you feel fully equipped to navigate challenges independently.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I like to look at how thoughts interact with a person’s social environment, family dynamics, and stressors. I use CBT and open-ended questions to help the person and I discover the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and actions. For example, "I felt sad, so I didn't hang out with my friends, and then I thought I was a terrible friend." Although feelings are valid, they can lead to actions and behaviors we don't like and thoughts, even about ourselves, that lead to continuation of the triggering feelings and behavior. Once those connections are made, I like to work with individuals on patterns that will work for them more consistently.
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP)
When working with anxiety, fear, or intrusive thoughts, I incorporate Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) to help you gently face uncertainty without relying on temporary coping habits that ultimately increase stress or strain for you and your relationships. Together with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), we look closely at how your thoughts, feelings, and actions interact within your daily life—uncovering cycles like feeling overwhelmed, interpersonal relationships, and assuming the worst. Because the therapeutic focus is empowerment rather than overwhelm, my strength-based approach ensures we build on your existing resilience, choosing interventions and ERP strategies collaboratively and in a concerted rather than rushed time frame so you feel supported, safe, and equipped to create lasting, meaningful change.
Motivational Interviewing
I utilize Motivational Interviewing, a collaborative, conversational approach designed to help you clarify what matters most to you and overcome any ambivalence about making changes. Rather than telling you what to do, I help you uncover your own motivation and confidence, giving you the tools to modify your thoughts, behaviors, and surroundings on your own terms.
Strength-Based
I use a flexible, strength-based approach to tailor therapy around your unique story and existing resilience. Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all model, I draw from different evidence-based techniques to build on what already works for you. For instance, while grounding through bodily sensations can be a powerful tool for someone needing to slow down, that same exercise might feel overwhelming for someone else. By honoring your personal comfort, history, and strengths, we work collaboratively to choose interventions that feel safe, empowering, and genuinely effective for where you are right now.
Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma impacts our brain and shades how we see and interpret experiences from that point forward. My first priority in working with an individual is fostering a sense of total safety in our session. After an individual feels safe, it's important to me that I listen to an individual's perspective and work with them so discomfort, triggers, and distressful feelings are identified, managed, and validated so that triggers become less powerful in the individual's life.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
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Licensed in
- FloridaLicense SW23758