Jessica Richards

Education:

• M.A. Marriage and Family Therapy; Certificate Child and Adolescent Counseling from Richmont Graduate University

• B.S. Toccoa Falls College, Counseling

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Areas of Focus:

• Neurodiversity

• Parenting

• Family Therapy

• Children, Tweens, and Teens

• Foster Care

• Groups

• Supervision

Hi, I'm Jessica...

As a nature lover, I often reflect on God’s design and creativity. The butterfly, for example, goes through an amazing transformation…awkward, crawling caterpillar to soaring with beautiful wings. This transformation is made possible by what, from the outside, appears to be an intense struggle to escape the cocoon. However, if “helped” to escape the cocoon, the butterfly may emerge just as beautiful, yet unable to fly. What a beautiful metaphor for our own journeys…complex, unique, messy and hard at times, yet there is intentionality in these complexities both in our internal systems and relational connections. I recognize that both in nature and in our own lives there is more involved than we could ever explore or fully understand. As a therapist, I naturally apply this mindset, that God’s design holds way more than we can see or understand, to the people and relationships in my office, which allows me to approach each child, adult, couple, and family with an open, listening ear ready to learn and understand their unique personalities and stories and to journey with them toward solutions that work and bring healing for them.

I offer:

• Individual therapy for children, adolescents, and women

• Family therapy

• Pre- engagement and pre-marital packages for equipping couples prior to marriage

• Marriage Counseling

• Parent-coaching sessions for caregivers of neurodiverse children

• Private individual, family, or marriage intensives

• Counseling and consults to those impacted by foster care  

• Group therapy (see “Groups” tab for information on current groups)

• Training for teams and groups seeking specific expertise or education related to mental and emotional health especially as it relates to experiencing healthy community

• Supervision for intern and post-graduate level clinicians

Modalities/Approach:

As a therapist, I approach therapy from a faith-based, trauma and attachment informed, and systemic lens. Because I seek to meet every client where they are in a way they can receive, my approach is often eclectic, pulling from a variety of modalities. I seek to help clients build a greater self-understanding through examining their own internal system and relational patterns, utilizing intimacy therapy as a guide, and I often incorporate experiential modalities such as sand tray and play to help with depth of understanding and retention. I also utilize more solution focused approaches as needed/requested and incorporate more cerebral modalities such as CBT, DBT, and Motivational Interviewing. I am ever seeking to broaden my tool box so as to best serve those for whom I’m gifted the opportunity to offer care.