My Approach to Therapy
Jesse Dempsen, LMHCA
Licensed Mental Health Counseling Associate
We are sacred beings
My approach to therapy begins and ends on this premise: we are each unique beings on a journey toward wholeness. This road is not smooth, and often we get lost or encounter obstacles we don’t know how to overcome. I see my role as a therapist as a witness and a guide to your journey, to both assist you in overcoming obstacles and to cheer on the solutions you find along the way.
My primary theoretical approaches include Internal Family Systems, Person-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, somatic techniques, and a strengths-based approach.
Core principles
I bring a worldview and values system that is informed by Eastern Orthodox Christian beliefs and practices, though as a licensed professional I bracket my own convictions and do not impose these on clients. Some of my foundational beliefs include:
- I approach each person as a unique and sacred creation worthy of peace and fulfillment.
- I believe that we are both physical and spiritual beings, and that healthy mental functioning must take both our physical and spiritual selves into account.
- I believe that the experiences we go through in life have the potential to shape us into better and stronger people, and that the therapeutic space is useful for discovering the opportunities presented in some of the hardest challenges and worst pains we can face.
- I see my role as a therapist as a guide to assisting you to meet your goals and make the changes that will allow you peace of mind, and your role as a client to determine what results you want to see and commit to making the changes and choices necessary to reach that goal.
- I have worked with people from indigenous backgrounds since 2011. I have worked hard to understand the framework and background of North American indigenous people, and as someone who checks all the boxes typically recognized as privileged in our current cultural milieu, I approach cultural and racial experiences of others with humility and curiosity.
- Any conversations regarding these topics are welcome and will be met with non-defensiveness.