Jessica Meyers

I originally wanted to be an ER doctor. Then, I took a psychology class in pre-med and fell in love with it. To me, being a therapist felt more meaningful than becoming an emergency room doctor, where I'd only be helping people for three to 10 minutes, then sending them on their way. I felt like being a therapist could be so impactful on somebody's life. Personally speaking, I have a cousin who's on the autism spectrum, and several family members have had different mental health issues over the years. I've always had an open door for everybody in my life—coworkers, friends—and I've connected them to whatever services they might need.

I've worked in a residential program and in hospital-based outpatient treatment, and saw people in many communities also struggling with OCD. I'm always looking to learn and grow. Being experienced in different fields helps me with every population I'm working with. I'd treated people with OCD in previous settings, but I always feel that there's more I can learn.

I've treated people with anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder. When I was a crisis clinician, I assessed people at risk of harming themselves and others. That has been a strong asset of mine when working with people struggling with harm OCD. I'm able to differentiate between fearful thoughts about harm and true intent. I really like working with children, as well. There's a challenge to it. It's like all their secrets are locked away. You really have to build a relationship with a child or teenager so they feel comfortable opening up. It's just magical when a kid or teen shares something with you when only weeks ago they would hardly talk.

It's going to be uncomfortable in the beginning. But it's going to lead to a lifetime of feeling better, happier, and more comfortable. And I'm going to be there with you from the beginning. I will help you get to the point of feeling happier and more in control long-term. I have found ERP to be very effective. It works. I have seen people do things that, at the outset of therapy, they told me they would never be able to do. I see people become successful and happy, and not limited by their OCD.

We have different options. If you can't say something out loud, you can type it out over Zoom. You can also just answer yes or no, and we can circle back to it. You don't need to tell me any detailed information—yes or no is often sufficient until you feel comfortable sharing. I've worked as a crisis screener in the past, so I'm very well-versed in the difference between someone’s true intent and the intrusive thoughts from OCD. That experience of mine can make some people more comfortable sharing.