jessie white
(she/her/hers)
licensed clinical social worker
& psychotherapist
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jessie white psychotherapy, pllc
austin, texas
about me
I am a proud Austinite that adores this city, especially life south of the river! Don’t be surprised if I come to session with some paint still on my hands— when I’m not working I am usually renovating my house, in the yard, eating new delicious food, or hiking around with my three pups.
I absolutely love being a social worker and it is an integral part of not only what I do but my soul as a human— it is how I find greater purpose and connectedness.
I hold a strong belief that people are amazing, resilient, and powerful; sometimes our behaviors become stuck, and these behaviors add barriers to achieving a brighter, highly connected, and fulfilling life. I can help figure out these patterns, why they exist, how to deconstruct them, and celebrate along the way! Don’t be surprised if my laugh is heard from the waiting room as I weave humor and joy into the deeper, tougher work.
I believe in a laid back, exploration of yourself. I trust my clients and allow them to lead sessions; my clients walk in the door just as they are. I do not have expectations of sessions and find that the session brings what it needs to with space. Sometimes sessions are full of current stressors, sometimes it is about the past, and most of the time it is all related. I love getting to watch the process unfold and seeing my clients trust in their own internal compass. Therapy is hard work and it doesn't have to be dreaded and painful-- I want to find joy and light during the process, too.
I am flexible in approach and use collaboration as the basis for all therapy. I love to work with people that experience oppression including people of color, women, people with gender fluidity, sexuality fluidity, any spirituality, and people with physical or medical limitations in life. I am a social justice warrior and always love for my clients to enrich my life by sharing their lives with me.
specializations
I specialize in trauma,
specifically attachment trauma,
parenting concerns,
gender based violence,
sexual violence,
interpersonal violence,
depression,
anxiety,
complex mental health conditions,
and relationship struggles.
I started my career working within the child welfare system and focused to build stronger and more resilient families; I have worked in local foster care and adoption, international adoption, family preservation, psychiatric hospitals, family shelters, and community based settings. The central focus of my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at The University of Texas at Austin was clinical work in attachment theories based in neurobioloically focused interventions.
I am a self-proclaimed neurobiology nerd! I use this to help clients understand the brain, what is happening, how to manage it, and how to use neuroplasticity to ultimately change how the brain functions (I totally geek out on this stuff)!
certifications
&
licensure
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Masters of Science of Social Work,
The University of Texas at Austin
EMDR
(eye movement desensitization & reprocessing)
EMDR & chronic pain
PACT Level 1 Practitioner
(psychobiological approach to couple's therapy)
TF-CBT
Nurturing Parenting
Triple P (Positive Parenting Program)
Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)
Touchpoints Practitioner
professional consultations
I am currently a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) which means I have a Master's Degree and two levels of licensure. It means I can practice independently in a clinical setting.
In order to provide ethical and comprehensive services, I consult and seek consultation through peers, and other licensed clinical social workers. This is done on a weekly basis and is done with confidentiality in a group setting.
If you have any questions about this, please feel free to ask.
why therapy?
This is one of the best questions that I get asked in my daily life, "Why do people go to therapy?" The real answer is people often don't know exactly why they are wanting to start therapy, what exactly they will talk about, or what to expect out of the process. Most people that are seeking therapy know that something is missing, misaligned, or "off" in their lives and want to find a better way to live.
I am not a mind reader, soothsayer, and I don't have magical powers of any kind; I believe my clients hold their own magic and it is a joy to get to watch this be uncovered through therapy.
Nervous? I get that, I was too when I called to start therapy.
Give me a call! We can chat to see if we may be a good fit for each other.