Jaime L.S. DiMeco
I became a psychotherapist in 2018, because this work, works. Not just clinically, but personally. I have watched it change lives, including people I love deeply, and there is nothing that has convinced me more of the transformative power of this process than witnessing it up close, year after year. I wouldn't do this work if it didn't work. I do it because it does, and I can't imagine a more meaningful way to spend my life. I'm proud to bring to this work my own lived experience as a queer and neurodivergent person, which has shaped how I show up in this role in ways that training alone never could. It's deepened my understanding of identity, resilience, and what it truly takes to grow into yourself in a world that wasn't always designed with you in mind. So much of this work I liken to the art of stained glass, taking the shattered pieces of a life and arranging them into something that doesn't just hold together, but lets the light shine in. I've been allowed a rich privilege of walking alongside clients through some of the most challenging and transformative chapters of their lives, and there is nothing else I could imagine doing.
First session
I take a warm, collaborative, and whole-person approach with every client I work with. My goal is to deeply understand you, not just your presenting concerns or your history, but what matters most to you and what has stood in the way of getting there. My goal is to help you feel safe, seen, heard, and valued while implementing evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches within a space you can be genuinely yourself while working toward your goals. From that foundation, we'll work together to identify what might be worth shifting to find the most meaningful path forward. I bring both clinical depth and authentic warmth to each session, and I hold space for the full complexity of what you are carrying without ever losing sight of where we are headed. Healing is serious work and I take it seriously, but it shouldn't look like heavy lifting all the time. In my experience, bringing in moments of lightness are often what make the deepest work most sustainable. My practice is rooted in queer-affirming, feminist, and anti-oppressive values, that are woven into every aspect of how I work, not just who I work with. If you have ever felt like you needed to leave part of yourself behind to be fully accepted somewhere, that changes here.
Strengths
I usually describe my approach as collaborative, warm, and client-centered, but what does that actually look like in practice? You will never have to carry the session. I come prepared every time, with intention and direction, but I hold that intention loosely enough to follow a lead wherever you need to go that day, and weave it into the long-term goals we've set for you. I have a knack and enough experience for finding the thread, knowing which question to ask, which moments to sit in, and which patterns its time to name. Clients often tell me they've shared things with me they've never told anyone before. I deeply understand that you don't own me anything, and that trust is not given, it's earned. That is a level of trust I work hard to earn every session. I will always lean into what is already working for you, rather than teaching new skills to practice from the ground up; because, why make hard work harder? I want to know what strengths and strategies you've already mastered and build from there. You have more inner resources than you likely give yourself credit for, and part of my job is helping you recognize and redirect them. I will always be honest with you, genuinely and purposefully, and always with your best interest at the center. If something isn't working, I will say so, and I will always invite you to share the same with me. If something feels off, I will never be shocked or offended, but rather welcome your feedback and critique, because I can't make our time better if I don't know what's wrong. This time is for you, not me. So it needs to be working for you. As an autistic and ADHD person, I show up as myself in session, and I invite you to do the same. You may notice that I interject with a question or lose track of time, because I am prioritizing our work together. I want to make sure we get the most out of every minute, because your time is the most valuable thing you could trust me with. That transparency is not incidental to my work. It is part of how I create a space where both of us can show up fully and honestly. In my experience, that's exactly the kind of environment where transformation happens. I am here because I care and I will be as committed to your goals as you are.
Ideal clients
My ideal clients are the ones who look capable from the outside; and usually are. They're the caregivers, the doers, the strong friends, the high-achievers, the ones everyone leans on. They've gotten really good at managing, adapting, and holding it together. What they haven't learned yet is how to do that for themselves; to be kinder, gentler, and more present to tending to their own inner world. They often describe themselves as highly sensitive, empathic, or people-pleasers who are exhausted, burned out, and quietly unsure of who they are outside of what they do for others. They may be navigating anxiety, OCD, complex trauma, major life transitions, or a relationship that's reached a breaking point. Many of my clients are women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, parents, young moms, entrepreneurs, or neurodivergent folks; many of whom carry the kind of deep sensitivity that makes them exceptional humans and yet, often exhausted ones. I have a deep love for working with the queer community - including teens, adults, and parents of LGBTQIA+ kids who want to show up well for their children and recognize that their journey deserves its own space too. I also frequently support clients in the middle of something specific: faith deconstruction, separation or divorce, codependent relationship patterns, or the particular grief that comes with realizing your upbringing wasn't what it should have been. If you've spent most of your life holding everyone else together and you're finally ready to make yourself the priority — I'd love to connect.
Treatment methods
Trauma-Focused CBT
I use Trauma-Focused CBT with adults who have experienced persistent physical and/or emotional trauma, neglect, or distress often occurring throughout childhood. This approach helps clients understand how their past experiences have shaped the way they think, feel, and respond to the world. We then gently work to shift patterns that are no longer serving them. We move at the client's pace, building a sense of safety first before doing any deeper work. I collaborate with each client to adapt a treatment approach to fit their individual history rather than following a rigid structure.
Compassion Focused
I use Compassion-Focused Therapy with clients who carry significant shame, self-blame, or a deep sense that something is wrong with them; feelings that often develop when growing up in environments that weren't safe or nurturing. This approach helps to build a gentler inner-world and a more supportive relationship with yourself. This is not achieved by forcing positivity, but rather by practicing self-compassion in a way that actually feels authentic and grounded. This approach integrates well with other methods and often helps progress if self-criticism becomes a barrier to healing.
EMDR
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a structured therapy that helps the brain process past traumatic experiences that still feel recent and carry a lot of emotional charge even years later. I use EMDR as part of a broader treatment approach, taking time first to ensure you feel stable and prepared before any reprocessing begins. For people with complex or long-standing trauma, I adapt the process to move at a pace that puts clients in control.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
Other specialties
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Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense 146065