Jo Bloomer
Hello! My name is Jo, and I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I aim to honor the humanity and complexity of every client I meet. With a background in the arts and storytelling, I bring curiosity and deep listening to the process, helping clients uncover the narratives they live by, identify blind spots, and bring unconscious patterns into the light.
First session
Your first session will be gentle, slow, and without pressure. I'll invite you to share your story - including a brief history and what brings you to therapy now. The intention is for you to leave that very first session feeling supported and understood, with at least one small piece of clarity, relief, or insight you can carry forward. I do not use a detached or instructional model of care. I do not view myself as an expert who stands outside the relational field, offering solutions from a distance. Instead, I work relationally - meaning that our therapeutic relationship itself is part of the healing process.
Strengths
I believe my greatest strength as a therapist is my ability to build authentic rapport and connection - this fosters a safe and trusting space for clients to be emotionally open. I think this makes me particularly well suited to newcomers to therapy. I tailor the work to meet you where you are. At times, this includes deeper exploratory work informed by Jungian depth psychology, Internal Family Systems (IFS/"parts work") or EMDR. At other times, the work includes practical support: navigating difficult conversations (asking for a raise, anyone?), crafting important communications (feeling disappointed in a friend?), or simply bringing structure to areas of life that feel overwhelming (schedule, budget, etc). I honor both Relational Depth and Practical Support.
Ideal clients
I particularly enjoy working with people who find themselves asking, "Who am I now?" This may arise in the context of career changes, creative pursuits, relationships, recovery, gender or sexual identity, or other significant life transitions. At times, anxiety and depression can emerge when a familiar identity no longer fits and something new is trying to take shape. Many of the people I serve are navigating anxiety, depression. and addiction. I have years of experience supporting those struggles. I feel a strong connection to the LGBTQIA community and provide an affirming space for clients of all identities. I enjoy working with creatives and those pursuing artistic paths - I understand both the rewards and challenges that can come with a life in the arts. If you are new to therapy, I enjoy making the process feel natural, approachable, and not intimidating.
Treatment methods
Psychodynamic
I work psychodynamically, which means we look at unconscious patterns shaping how you experience yourself and others. So much of what drives our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors happens outside of our awareness. These unconscious patterns influence how we move in the world (how we respond to others, protect ourselves, and make choices) - often automatically and before we are conscious about what is really happening for us. We will explore early relationships, family dynamics, attachment, formative experiences, unconscious patterns, defenses, and internal conflicts that continue to influence your life today. This way of working requires curiosity and openness around why certain patterns keep repeating. The deeper we dig, the more freedom, choice, and sovereignty you will have as you move through your life.
Attachment-based
I use an attachment-based approach to understand how our earliest relationships (Mother, Father, Primary Caregivers) can shape the way we currently experience closeness, trust, conflict, vulnerability, and belonging. Our family of origin creates the template for future attachment and can follow us into adult relationships - including friendships and romantic partnerships. Those original templates are so significant that we often find ourselves repeating familiar dynamics - even when we consciously want something different.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT to explore the thoughts, beliefs, and cognitive distortions that can shape how we experience ourselves and our relationships. Through a relational lens, we can get curious about where these patterns come from, muscle test if they are actually true and develop more flexible ways of thinking and responding.
Location
Virtual sessions
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Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense 153267