Jessica Pendergast LPC

After our initial session, we will begin treatment by identifying your goals while building strong rapport. I prioritize building a trusting therapeutic relationship in order to help you feel more comfortable and confident in speaking about your life experiences. With vulnerability often comes feelings of fear, guilt, and shame, all of which we will work through and process. My number one rule is my clients cannot talk negatively about themselves. Together, we will work on reducing your inner critic and replace it with healthy, empowering self-talk that gives you the ability to embrace self-compassion and self-acceptance.

When working with a client, I identify what modalities to work with based on what coping skills a client already has. I make sure clients become efficient in feeling safe and calm in their bodies by utilizing various DBT skills. We will work together on building up a practice of meditation and mindfulness that will help you increase your self-awareness, reduce tension, and alleviate distressing emotions. I also address my client's thinking styles by utilizing CBT skills. I am EMDR trained, which is an excellent modality for individuals who have experienced trauma. Together, we will identify more well-balanced ways of thinking while I assist you in understanding how certain thinking styles can cause feelings of anxiety, distress, and depression.

• Pennsylvania, Licensed Professional Counselor, PC015072