I can generally say my specialty is treating challenges such as anxiety, depression, life transitions, trauma and/or neglect, and self-esteem issues. With my clients, we explore the past and how it’s led up to current behaviors and beliefs. We discuss coping skills for managing really distressful emotions. We talk about psychoeducation, and I provide insight on what a mental health diagnosis means and how to manage it without letting it define who you are. I like to incorporate many different theories and frameworks into my sessions. These include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Attachment Theory, Trauma Focused Therapy, Play Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Using this, plus the information I gather from a few sessions with a client, I design a treatment plan catered specifically to helping my clients make attainable and realistic goal setting toward being a better version of themselves for themselves and for those they love. Although I’m still seeking licensure, this isn’t my first go-round as therapist. I’ve had different experiences working in different states with Child Advocacy Centers, as an Intensive In-Home Therapist, and other case management type positions. This essentially fostered my love for working with people who’ve had past histories of trauma and are seeking to heal in the aftermath. I also know that, unfortunately, “one size fits all” definitely doesn’t apply to therapy. Not every therapist is a perfect match so I try to go into therapy being the kind of therapist I would expect myself to seek or one I would recommend to those I love. Sometimes that means being honest with a client and being real about if we aren’t a match, and I’ll often tell them from the first session if that happens, I’m still here as a support to help you find the right match. Message to clientsHello! My name is Jessica Collins, and I’m a pre-licensed therapist seeing clients in-person and through telehealth in Miami, FL. One of my favorite things to talk about regarding mental health is growth. We often see from social media these almost “picture perfect” graphics talking about growth, and typically, the symbol is a plant in full bloom. But to me, that’s not growth – that’s the final product. If you think about it, a plant growing doesn’t look all that great as it spurts out of the ground. So growth to me isn’t about being in full bloom; it’s the process by which you get there… and how you continue to thrive after all the messiness from that growth. We’re so eager, as people who try to avoid pain, to jump from point A to point B in “being better” while growth is everything that happens in between that Point A and Point B. But often, we can’t do this alone or without the right tools, support, and encouragement.