Jessica RowanLPC

I have always been an empathetic person with a compassionate heart. In elementary school I was a "peer helper" which was a student who mentored and provided support to another student who was struggling emotionally or socially. It was in that role that I knew that I enjoyed helping people. In junior high school I watched my own mother struggle with depression and overcome that depression once she found a treatment that was a good match. It was then that I began to believe in the power of therapy. But it wasn't until I got to college and had a psychology professor who taught us DBT coping skills in class and about self-compassion and being gentle on yourself, that I understood how helpful counseling really could be for people each and every day and what a good fit that it was for me.

My approach to therapy is very laid back and non confrontational. I practice from a client centered perspective and am very client driven. I go where the client wants to go, which always takes us where they need to go. I believe that therapy is a journey and that my role is to support on that journey. I believe that a person's emotions always serve a purpose and I enjoy helping clients find what that purpose is and what those emotions mean.

During the first session I like to spend time getting to know one another. I like to provide information about treatment and allow space for clients to ask as many questions as they need to feel comfortable moving forward. During the first session we will discuss what brings you into therapy and discuss what you would like to get out of therapy. We will begin to do a formal assessment and discuss specific treatment goals to guide future sessions. Overall I want clients leaving the first session feeling comfortable and hopeful and like they made a good choice in taking the step of engaging in treatment.

• Oregon, Licensed Professional Counselor, C6412

I have worked for over 10 years in community mental health. Over the years I have worked in three different states at three very different types of facilities. This has given me the opportunity to work with many different people dealing with many different things. Starting off I spent three years working as a counselor with the Division of Youth Services in Missouri, running groups and providing individual services to adolescents in a maximum security treatment facility, teaching coping and life skills to support a healthy transition back into the community. I primarily used motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and strength based therapy when working with these young men. I worked with individuals who experienced trauma, depression, anxiety, and adjustment issues. I then spent five years working at a Crisis Stabilization Unit in Colorado providing immediate crisis assessment and support to individuals experiencing mental health crisis. I taught Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and utilized Trauma Based CBT and brief solution focused approaches regularly. I worked frequently with individuals dealing with high anxiety, high depression, feelings of suicidality, PTSD, mood swings and mania associated with Bipolar Disorder and Psychosis. For the past two years I have worked as the Assertive Community Treatment Program Coordinator and a dual diagnosis therapist at a community mental health agency in Eastern Oregon working with individuals who deal with chronic depression, anxiety, suicidality, psychosis, bipolar disorder, and PTSD. Through these experiences what I have learned is that people and their problems don't need to be fixed, but instead people need to be supported with developing tools to navigate life more effectively. With the development of the right tools I believe that every person can reach a state of optimal health and wellness.