¡Hola! Hi, my name is Jessica Pelaez. I am a bilingual licensed clinical social worker and I have been providing therapy for six years. I graduated from the University of Southern California with a Masters in Social Work. I was born to Guatemalan immigrant parents and experienced many challenges and mental health struggles growing up. I believe my life experiences led me to pursue my education in the mental health field and because I wanted to make a difference in peoples lives. I have had a passion in helping people since I was a little girl. When I was in Kindergarten my teacher took me and my class to visit a senior center. I remember that I sang and served cupcakes to the seniors. That was the first time I experienced the power of compassion and my passion in helping others feel happier. The best part of being a therapist is when I have the honor to celebrate clients progress no matter how small that accomplishment is.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
The first session is about getting to know you and your therapeutic goals. I want to meet you where you are currently at in life and see if we are a good fit. That's okay if you don't know your therapeutic goals because I can guide you to identify those goals. If this is your first time in therapy, I want to be able to create a safe space for you to share your thoughts. I will also explain what the therapeutic process is like. We can also explore what techniques or interventions that might help you best to meet your therapeutic goals. I try to meet patients where they're currently at in life and not rush the process. Overall, I want to acknowledge your bravery to come to therapy and make a step towards your journey of healing and growth.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I am a kind, empathetic, open-minded, a good listener, non-judgmental, and a compassionate therapist. I make sure to create a comfortable and safe space for you to share whatever you feel comfortable sharing. My supervisors in past work experiences described me best as a creative and a kind/empathetic therapist. I believe my empathy comes from experiencing many challenging experiences in my life-time. I built resilience and I have been able to help others also find their inner strengths. I have also gone to therapy and I know how challenging it can be to open up to someone you don't know, so I make sure to provide a compassionate space for you to process your feelings.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I started my career serving older adults and unhoused veterans. I concentrated my education in military social work at University of Southern California, but I have diverse experience in many populations. I work well with clients who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder as well. I find creative ways to help clients with autism build self-compassion and engage with others. I have experience working with children, adolescents, and adults with diverse problems. I previously worked at a medical clinic serving the underserved community with diverse backgrounds and issues. I also speak Spanish and have helped many Spanish-Speaking clients resolve family issues, manage their symptoms, and accomplish their therapy treatment goals.
About Jessica Pelaez
Jessica Pelaez offers therapy covered by Central California Alliance for Health (Medi-Cal), Gold Coast Health Plan (Medi-Cal), L.A. Care Health Plan (Medi-Cal), Orange County Mental Health Plan (Medi-Cal), Partnership HealthPlan of California (Medi-Cal) and San Francisco Health Plan (Medi-Cal) in California.
Identifies as
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Christian Counseling
I have experience working with Christian clients in the community and helped many clients cope using their faith. I provide faith-based interventions to help Christian clients deal with life challenges. Although I provide faith-based interventions for Christian clients, I am culturally sensitive to diverse religions.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use the modality Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help manage clients depressive and anxious symptoms. I provide useful homework and also help you talk through the negative thoughts. My goals are to help you reframe negative thoughts to more positive or realistic thoughts and to also combat suicidal ideation and self-harm thoughts.
Strength-Based
My approach to every therapy session is through the strength-based perspective. I look at clients strengths and help them identify their strengths to help them accomplish their therapy goals. For example, if you struggle with alcohol abuse or substance abuse I work with your strengths to help you cope in healthier ways and help you utilize your resources to empower you. The strength-based treatment method is based on compassion, nonjudgmental, and a safe space to work through your issues.
Play Therapy
I am a creative therapist that uses many creative play interventions for children and teenagers, especially for individuals struggling with autism spectrum disorder/learning disabilities. This interventions include, but not limited to the following: Sand Tray Therapy, games, music, literature, puppetry, animal-assisted therapy, and etc. to facilitate the therapy process in an easier way. I also use art therapy for both children, adults, and older adults to process emotions if it is difficult to put into words painful memories. I am in the process of getting certified as an animal-assisted psychotherapist, so I use creative ways to implement animal symbolism with art or in other creative ways. I currently do not have a live animal for animal assisted-psychotherapy, but I trained my cat Muñeca (Doll) to stand on her two hind paws last year in my training in animal-assisted psychotherapy. Her resilience was impressive and just like animals I believe people have the capacity to overcome many barriers to achieve success in life in whatever that means to you.
Trauma Informed Care
I approach therapy with lens of trauma informed care for clients who have experienced trauma that has affected many areas of their lives. I provide a safe, compassionate, non-judgmental space for clients to share their life stories that have involved trauma. I actively listen and explore ways to overcome challenges due to traumatic life experiences. I have worked with combat veterans, domestic violence survivors, child abuse and sexual abuse survivors, and survivors of other acts of violence. I have experience working with Stop the Hate program. I worked close with BIPOC, unhoused individuals, and immigrant communities to heal from hate crimes and other acts of violence. I have helped clients find their voice and manage PTSD triggers.