Dr. Jessica Javier

I’m a licensed clinical social worker and board-certified art therapist with advanced training in trauma-informed care. I hold a doctorate in social work and completed graduate training at NYU and USC. My clinical work is grounded in evidence-based practice, with a strong emphasis on safety, collaboration, and respect for each client’s lived experience.

I specialize in working with adults navigating trauma, complex PTSD, depression, anxiety, grief, identity concerns, and life transitions. I am trained in EMDR and integrate somatic, relational, and creative approaches when helpful, always tailoring treatment to the individual rather than using a one-size-fits-all model.

Clients often seek me out when they want depth-oriented therapy that is thoughtful, steady, and attuned—especially if they have tried therapy before and found it insufficiently nuanced. My goal is to support meaningful change while honoring each person’s pace, autonomy, and strengths.

My approach to therapy is trauma-informed, collaborative, and individualized. I focus on creating a space that feels safe, steady, and respectful, particularly for clients with complex or developmental trauma. Therapy is paced carefully and shaped around each client’s goals, values, and nervous system capacity rather than a rigid protocol.

My work is informed by EMDR, somatic and attachment-based frameworks, and existential therapy. Alongside symptom relief and stabilization, I attend to questions of meaning, identity, agency, and how clients make sense of their experiences. When helpful, I integrate creative or experiential methods to support insight, especially when verbal processing alone feels limiting.

I collaborate as appropriate with psychiatrists, primary care providers, and other clinicians to support continuity of care. I

In the first session, clients can expect a thoughtful, paced conversation focused on understanding what brings them to therapy and what they are hoping for from the work. I prioritize creating an environment that feels calm, respectful, and non-judgmental, especially for clients who may have had difficult or invalidating experiences in prior therapy.

We will review relevant history, current concerns, and any immediate needs for stabilization, while also leaving room for clients to share what feels most important to them. Rather than setting rigid goals right away, I focus on clarifying direction, assessing fit, and establishing a shared understanding of how we might work together.

By the end of the session, clients typically leave with a clearer sense of what therapy with me would look like, next steps for treatment, and whether the approach feels aligned with their needs.