Jessica SullivanLPC-IT

I see a lot of division and hatred in the world at large which is disheartening and scary to see, especially when I've met such incredible people in my line of work. They help remind me that when we take the time and effort to listen and try to understand each other that we have more in common as fellow humans than the world at large would have you believe. My experience has been that our struggle to be the best sibling, partner, friend, employee, and so on to each other is due to us just trying to get through our own trials and tribulations.

"Everything I Never Told You" by Celeste Ng is a great example of how families try and fail to understand each other and what they're going through. The book really moved me when I read it because of how relatable yet tragic it was. One of my goals as a therapist is to help my clients see beyond themselves and their own perspectives to try to understand how and why their loved ones are doing or saying the things they are. We often make assumptions based off of our own way of seeing the world and this book is an excellent example of the dangers of doing so and why it is so important that we encourage genuine communication with each other.

I strive to give my clients the confidence to move forward in their lives by helping them acknowledge their faults, set realistic goals to overcome them, and make adjustments as needed. Not everything we try will work because there isn't one easy cookie cutter way to approach therapy but we will continue to search for a solution that works best for the client at that point in their life. As humans, we are constantly adapting and changing to the world around us so what worked for us when we were younger may not work for us now.

• Wisconsin, LPC-IT, 4600-226

After graduating in 2018 and with the help of my supervisor I opened my own private practice, Compassionate Heart Therapy. I love having the flexibility to work around my client's schedules and budgets so I'm not turning away people who want therapy but because of their work hours or income they can't afford it.