(she/her)
Hi there! I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California. I've been in the mental health field for about 9 years and am truly passionate about this profession. In my adolescence, I started my own journey in therapy. Now, as a therapist, I consider myself lucky to have the opportunity to give back in the same ways that I was offered support when I needed it most.
In our first session, my primary focus is to get to know you and do my best to help you feel safe in the therapy environment. First sessions are almost always nerve-racking and full of anxiety, that's totally normal. I ask plenty of questions to learn more about you and you are free to answer them to the best of your comfort. I also welcome questions you may have about me. Getting to know one another is a continuous process, so there's no rush. The goal is that you walk away from our first session feeling understood and knowing you have someone you can trust with your innermost thoughts and feelings.
I strive to create an open, comfortable, and warm environment in therapy. Clients often describe me as empathetic, curious, humorous, and playful. I don’t think therapy has to always be a serious matter and I enjoy having fun with it whenever that’s possible.
I specialize in working with adolescents, adults, and families. I have a lot of experience working with people experiencing anxiety, depression, adjustment to life changes, and healing through trauma. Hablo español y tambien puedo ofrecer mis servicios en este idioma.
Jessica Cerda offers therapy covered by CalViva Health (Medi-Cal), Community Health Plan of Imperial Valley (Medi-Cal) and Health Net (Medi-Cal) in California.
I often approach therapy through a Family Systems perspective, which allows us to dig beyond the self and analyze how our family of origin, relationships and/or intergenerational patterns influence how we have come to understand the world and our behaviors. I also utilize evidenced interventions based on CBT, DBT, and more.