Jess Bovard
Hi! I’m Jess! I’ve been a licensed counselor for almost 20 years, and I’ve truly loved the opportunity to walk alongside so many different people through the various times of life. One of my favorite parts of the work is getting to know someone in those early conversations. I genuinely enjoy hearing your story, learning what has brought you to therapy, and understanding the experiences that have shaped you. There’s something meaningful about getting to know the person behind the struggles they’re bringing into the room. I especially enjoy working with people who are ready to explore the possibility of change. You don’t have to have everything figured out, and you certainly don’t have to know exactly what needs to change before you begin. Sometimes it’s enough to recognize that something isn’t working the way you hoped and to feel ready—or even just curious—to see what might be different. My hope is that therapy can become a place where you feel understood, supported, and encouraged as you begin to imagine what life could look like when things start to shift.
First session
In our first session, I’ll ask a lot of questions to collect information. The questions begin on the surface and will get deeper as the session continues. I will never push past your level of comfort. Questions help me to understand and get to know you. We will talk about the etiquette and expectations of the counseling relationship. I enjoy hearing from folks about their lives, concerns, and what's important to them. I value confidentiality and will respect your shared words by keeping them private.
Strengths
I really value the opportunity to sit with people in the midst of grief, uncertainty, and struggle. Sometimes the most important thing we can do is simply create space to be heard, understood, and not have to carry everything alone. At other times, when it feels helpful and appropriate, I also enjoy gently challenging thoughts, patterns, or behaviors that may be keeping someone stuck. I work hard to build a strong therapeutic relationship rooted in trust, honesty, and mutual respect. I believe that a good therapeutic relationship gives us room for both comfort and challenge—for me to offer a different perspective while also listening carefully to what feels true and meaningful to you. I don't expect therapy to be one-size-fits-all, and I appreciate that each person has their own way of understanding themselves and creating change. I also genuinely enjoy a good challenge. If something I say doesn't resonate with you, doesn't fit your experience, or doesn't align with the way you want to approach change, I want you to tell me. That conversation is part of the work, too. My hope is that we can use our time together thoughtfully, honestly, and in a way that feels meaningful and useful to you.
Ideal clients
I enjoy all stages of life in my client base. I have the most experience with teenagers-middle age. I enjoy working with all demographics of folks. However, I find that virtual counseling works best for women with children, who are either at home or working outside of the home. Virtual counseling gives a lot of freedom for moms of young children to be heard.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Together we can look for patterns and identify your patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behavior and work on making changes to move away from unhelpful behavior.
Eclectic
Preferred method of treatment that includes all the various approaches of counseling to meet the needs of my client when they are in front of me.
Strength-Based
Focusing on using the skills/abilities and strengths that are already in place to encourage additional growth
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
Other specialties
Licensed in
- PennsylvaniaLicense PC010882