Jesse Dempsen

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate|Clinically Supervised

As an Eastern Orthodox Christian, I believe that all humans are sacred beings with potential for limitless goodness. I see my role as a therapist as a guide and helper for clients to find a path towards the good and the beautiful. Oftentimes trauma or our own hangups can obscure the path towards goodness and beauty, and we need help to find the way. This is what the therapeutic process is all about.

I think about clients from a multi-mind approach like that described in Internal Family Systems, where our different parts obscure and obstruct our way towards wisdom and goodness. In sessions I tend to give space for my clients to do the majority of the talking and processing, and give feedback and ask key questions to help deepen a client's insight into their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. On occasion, when appropriate, I may offer advice or assign some homework, though I do this rarely, allowing the insights gained in session to drive a client's progress.

In the therapeutic relationship, as in any relationship, trust is the key component. For those coming from a trauma background, especially one involving complex trauma, trust is a slow process. I strive to keep my word and commitments to clients, and endeavor to move at a pace that allows this trust to build over time. A second key element is commitment. A client must be as committed as the therapist to making changes necessary for improvement. While change may be incremental and slow, and setbacks may occur, there should be a forward trajectory toward the end goal.