I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC). I received a Master of Science in Counseling from Capella University and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. Treatment modalities in which I have experience include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). It has been my observation that since 2020, there has been a growing need for accessibility to services and telehealth platforms help o provide services for client's who might otherwise not get the support that they need.
During the first session, I will gather background information. Of course I only want client's to disclose what they are comfortable with. They will be provided a supportive and judgment-free zone to open up. The more that I know about them, the better I will be able to serve them. In the event that I am not an appropriate fit for the client, I will work to find them the counselor who has the specific skillset they may need :-)
My greatest strengths as a provider are for expressing empathy and validating my client's feelings. I pride myself on being able to make strong, therapeutic connections with those on my caseload. I also work hard to link my client's to services in their local communities if needed.
Throughout my career I have worked with clients with various diagnoses and presenting issues such as trauma, anxiety, depression, bereavement, and attachment issues. My passion is building a strong therapeutic alliance based on trust, respect, and empathy in order to facilitate the best treatment outcomes.
Jessica Whittle offers therapy covered by Kaiser Permanente - Medicaid and UnitedHealthcare/Optum - Medicaid in Virginia.
CBT has been my most frequently used treatment approach as it is an approved evidenced-based approach used for a wide variety of conditions, including by not limited to, trauma, anxiety, depression, psychosis-related disorders, and personality disorders.
I am trained in EMDR as a form of trauma therapy. However, in my experience I have found that many of the techniques used in EMDR are beneficial for clients with numerous mental health conditions that may not involve trauma. I have consistently received positive feedback from my clients when using this approach.